Northland Farmers Seek Suspension Of Haypress Award

Northern Advocate, 3 December 1941, Page 4

Northland Farmers Seek Suspension Of Haypress Award

Suspension of sections of the award covering men employed on hay-baling presses was asked by the Whangarei sub-provincial executive of the Farmers’ Union in a telegram sent to the Minister for Agriculture (Mr Barclay) and the Minister for Labour (Mr Webb), after a meeting of the executive at Whangarei yesterday. This was the outcome of discussion at the meeting which received a deputation comprising the president of the Whangarei Agricultural and Pastoral Society (Mr H. W. James) and an employer of the men affected by the award. Mr James said he considered it his duty to bring the state of affairs before th e notice of other farmers’ organisations. He stated that enfoi’cement of certain sections of the North Island |Threshing-mill, Chaff-cutters, and feClove-shellers etc. Employees’ Award Iprought about high wages for the men Employed, and, as this was passed on Ju) the farmers, they were being penalised heavily. Double Output And Costs . The award provided that the men nust be paid on a bale basis which 'or feeders and drivers amount to 5/'sd per 100 bales, and for other hands 4/10 per 100 bales. This was feasible in the case of machines which had an )utput of 90 or 100 bales per hour, but the case in question concerned an emoloyee who used a machine capable of louble that output per hour. According to the award, those employed to operate the machine would have to be paid double the amount received by men employed on a machine af smaller capacity. Naturally the employer could not be expected to bear the extra cost in wages and it was passed on to the farmer. The acute shortage of farm labour made the work of hay baling doubly important, and it was unjust that farmers should have to pay such extra jfcosts which were out of proportion to Sshe actual value of the work done by ||he machine. £1 Farmers Burdened If “The greatest complaint is that, ilvhile the Government asked farmers ||o accept 1938 prices and carry increased costs in that connection, are now burdened with this ■lncrease which is entirely due to the iGovernment’s policy,’’ he said. It was Unnecessary to employees or employjfcrs, he stated. II The employer whose case Mr. James Supported, stated that he had previously engaged a number of men on gins pick-up baler at the rate of 2/9 Ho 3/- per hour. This machine was Bible to put through 200 bales per hour. BH Recently he had been approached |||y an official who demanded compliance with the award. The extra B/ages that would have to be paid Bvould mean an extra cost to the Warmer of approximately £1 per 100 Spales. || Earn £3 Per Day H Making allowances for wet weather, whe average earnings of the men on Khis machine would be in the vicinity l|)f £3 per eight-hour day. The point Hvas that in the award there was no lllifferentiation between the conditions applying to a machine of fast output End one of slow output. Contractors IJ/ith modern plants were penalised, Hs well as the farmers. H After consideration of the matter, ■pembers were of the opinion that the farmers’ Union should take a firm JStand to protect the interests of the Banners represented, p Work of Machines j§ Asked for an indication of the ■mount of work done by his machines Hoist season, the employer statjfrjd that last season at Kaitaia 70,Ho bales were put through, and so Hr this season 63 farmers had made Arrangements for baling their hay Hith his machines. Unless some action Has taken, these farmers would have |H bear the extra costs brought about My the application of the award rates H! pay. HHe pointed out that his men in the Hist had been content to work at the Hte of 2/9 to 3/- per hour, and that if B was forced to pay them 4/10 to 5/5 Er 100 bales, it was possible that the Hachine would be put away as it Hould cost too much to run it. B§ Representations had already been Hade to the Minister for Agriculture, He added. M Mr A. Wiblin, Hukerenui, suggested Bat Mr Barclay be telegraphed adHising that the executive of the WhaHgarei sub-provincial of the Farmers' Bjnion fully supported the representa■lons made. || “In what other industry conH nected directly with larmmg are n rates of over time and double ■ time paid?” asked Mr James. H “What other award compels the W employer to share his profits with his employees?” he asked. Telegrams to Ministers After further discussion it was decided to send to Mr Barclay a telegram stating that farmers in Whangarei were alarmed at the high charges for hay baling necessitated by the operation of the award. This applied particularly to high capacity plants, where payments to workers approximated £3 per eighthour day, which was out of all proportion to the farmers’ earnings. In view of the necessity of these services to farmers, especially with the pick-up baler, and the shortage of labour, the Union urged suspension of the rigid conditions of the award for the war period. The cost of baling under the award rates now approximated the value of the hay itself.

A copy of the telegram is also to be sent to the Minister for Labour (Mr. Webb).