WAGES AND HOURS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18374, 14 April 1923, Page 13

WAGES AND HOURS.

THE PAY OF BUTCHERS. REQUEST FOR REDUCTION. ■» ■ An application by the Auckland Master Butchers' Union to have the " wages of workers in the butchering trade 'reduced was heard before the Arbitration Court yesterday. Mr. S. E. Wright appeared for the employers and Mr. W. E. Sill for the. union. Under the . proposals before the Court the following wages were specified —First shopman or man in charge, £5 2s per week; second shopman, £4 12s; first, small-goods man, £5 2s; first baconcurer, £5 2s; all other butchers, £4 7s. These rates represented a reduction of 8s a week on the wages set out in the old award. Unskilled workers previously received £4 16s per week, and the employers asked thai this be reduced to £4. Mr. Wright said that it was not intended that these rates should apply to freezing chamber hands. : .

Mr. Sill said that the employers were asking for a reduction m wages, supporting their claim by quoting the general orders reducing wages made by the Court last year, and to which butchers were not subject. He argued that no reduction should take place, and said the union considered the first shopmen and first small-goods men were quite inadequately paid even at the present rates. The Court reserved its decision.

HOURS FOR DAIRY FACTORIES. PARTIES AT VARIANCE. ' The dispute affecting the workers in the Auckland creameries, cheese, and butter factories occupied the Court a portion of yesterday afternoon and three hours last evening. The matters in dispute related mainly to wages, hours, and overtime. The employers were represented by Mr. S. E. Wright and the union by Mr. J. John. ■ ~\

At the conciliation council proceedings the employers sought to have wages, reduced by approximately 5s for all workers, but when the dispute came before the Court the employers relied on "the rates of pay specified in "the old award. On the question of hours the employers-asked for 60 hours per week in butter factories for the long season and 48 hours for the remainder of the year, with 65 hours for the long season and 48 hours for the remainder of the year in -cheese factories. ■ : The union desired that the work of the week be confined to 48 hours.

: Evidence was called to show that the provision of 60 hours for country butter fartories was necessary, to provide for contingencies, but that the actual time worked was in the vicinity of 48. It was pointed out on behalf of the union that at 60 hours, which was the general thing, the men received payment at the rate of Is 2|d in the butter factories, and for 65 hours in the cheese factories Is lid per |hour. ... ~ Mr. R. F. Barter lodged an objection against the engineers, sheet-meta] and canister workers employed in these factories being parties to this award. The Court reserved its decision.

REMUNERATION OF STOREMEN. CLAIM FOR AN INCREASE. The Auckland storemen's , dispute was also, investigated by the Court last evening, the matters under review being confined to wages of casual workers, wages for adult storemen-packers, and the question of notification. Mr. S. E. who appeared for the employers, said that the masters were prepared to accept the rates ruling in the Southern centres, which were 2s higher than,in Auckland. V '. Mr. H. . Dyson, for the union, said they were asking that a casual worker should be deemed to be one employed for less than a week, and that he receive 2s 3d per hour. The rate in Wellington was Is lid per hour. At present storemen packers received £3 15s, while the rate throughout the rest of New Zealand was £3 17s. The union felt that £3 17s was far too low. They felt justified in asking for not less than £4 per week. The Court reserved its decision.