WAGES OF BUTCHERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18585, 18 December 1923, Page 10

WAGES OF BUTCHERS.

. —• . . DEMftNO FOR AN INCREASE. y MASTERS CANNOT . ACCEDE. ■ — -SCALE NOT. THE MINIMUM. NO CONFERENCE AT PRESENT . . A' hint of . impending trouble in the Auckland butchery trade, as the. result • of ; a demand for increased wages, is conveyed by the course of recent negotiations - between > the■ v■- parties. The '-Master , : ' Butchers' Association, at a meeting last : evening, decided that it could not accede • •, /- to the general request for an increase, and V - "the next move lies with the employees, -.who . will meet to-day to consider - this ."ft increase asked for by the employees was one of . 12s 6d a week all round on . ' the present ' award rates. In convoying - this'request to the employers. Mr. W. Js.. Sill, , secretary to the Auckland Butchers Union, stated: " As the present should be an oportnne time for making- an increase in wages it is suggested that an ; early conference should take place % _ be- " tween representativs of your association and the union to consider the foregoing meeting of the Master Butchers Association last evening was called to draw up a final reply. : It was resolved. That in view of the fact that the award was made only eight months ago, and has only three months to run/, the employers feel they cannot agree to alter the scale / of waaes which was so recently fined by the Arbitration Court. The employers have treated the wages awarded strictly as the minimum, ana there is only a very small percentage who do not receive wages in advance of the Court award. The- employers have not refused to con- , aider any cases of special hardship which have come to their notice during the currency of the award, and they are still i prepared to maintain the same attitude. That the employers are desirous of meeting the employees to discuss all , matters affecting their'mutual interest at a time nearer the date of expiry of the present award. v , In a memorandum to the award last "April, Mr. Justice Frazer stated: "The Court has fixed rates of remuneration m accordance with the wages agreed upon by the parties when the last award was made, but has deducted the cost-of-living adjustments to date. The rates are somewhat higher than those awarded in other districts, but wo think it better to make no alteration at present. The award has been framed so as to expire about the same time as other city awards, in order that the matter of wages may then be considered, if necessary, from a Dominion standpoint." By this award, it is stated, the employees lost about 8s a week .in comparison with the rate previously paid.