Suggest Conference On Share-Milking

Northern Advocate, 1 June 1946, Page 6

Suggest Conference On Share-Milking

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. In a statement issued yesterday, the acting-Minister of Labour (Mr O'Brien) said that the Government had given serious consideration to the representations which had been made to it regarding the position of sharemilkers throughout New Zealand.

Although the Court of Arbitration had recommended to him that agreements entered into by fifty-fifty sharemilkers should be brought within the provisions of the Sharemilking Agreements Act. said the Minister, it was realised that this was something that could not be done without full consideration.

Therefore lie suggested that representatives of the fifty-fifty sharemilkors and of the Sharemilker Employers' Association should meet in conference. as had been arranged before the submission to the court of the preliminary point whether this class cf agreement should be brought under the Sharemilking Agreements Act. GOVERNMENT'S ASSURANCE

He gave the assurance of the Government that no standard terms and conditions that might be laid down ns the result of such a conference would be applied to any agreements previously entered into with fifty-fifty sharemilkers for the coming season, unless the representatives of the parties at such a conference were agreeable to this being done. Referring to sharemilkers whose employers provide the herds, the Minister said the small increases recommended by the court appeared to him to be reasonable, particularly in view of the fact that the court had the advantage of hearing evidence and arguments from both sides, but he would like further discussions with the parties on the other recommendations that had been made to him by the court.