DAIRY FACTORY AWARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19376, 10 July 1926, Page 14

DAIRY FACTORY AWARD.

THE QUESTION OF WAGES. ALL-ROUND INCREASE SOUGHT. COMPLAINT OF LONG HOURS. An effort to secure shorter hours and an increase in wages for workers in cheese and butter factories was made in the Arbitration Court yesterday when the Auckland dairy workers dispute was heard. Mr. S. E. Wright appeared for the employers and Mr. J. P. John, secretary of the union, represented the workers. The employers sought to have the present award maintained with one or two alterations, the chief of which was that the working week for cheese factories, now 60 hours during the summer months and 44 hours in the winter, should be fixed at 60 hours a week for the whole year. The union asked for the following wage rates, the existing rates being given in parentheses:—First assistants, £5 10s (£4 19s 6d); second assistants, £5 (£4 13s 6d); third assistants, £4 17s 6d (£4 6s 6d); fourth assistants, £4 15s (£4 3s); all other workers, £4 10s (£3 17s). The Court was also asked to fix the summer hours at 51 a week as against the present 60, the winter hours of 44 a week to remain as in the present award. Double time was asked for Sunday work and statutory holidays. It was also suggested that 'the white* clothing which factory workers are expected to Avear should be provided by the employers. Question of Day Off a Week. Mr. John said it would be found in comparison with recent awards of the Court to other workers that they were still a long way behind in regard both to wages and working conditions. They contended the summer hours —56 hours a week worked in butter factories and 60 hours in cheese factories —were altogether too long. These workers, under the present award, were asked to work seven days a week. This meant that if the dairy companies strictly observed the award in full they could work their men seven days a week for the whole year. It was realised that the majority of the companies did not carry this into effect, the work'ers being favoured now and again with a day off. The workers desired one day a week off as a right. The union considered the main issues for the consideration of the Court were whether it was just and reasonable to ask workers to work a seven-day week of 56 hours in butter factories and 60 hours a week in cheese factories. It was considered the present wages were a very poor recompense for such long hours of employment, and when worked out on an hourly basis were considerably lower than those paid in any other industry. The dairying industry was the greatest in the country and, from a worker's standpoint, the worst paid. They knew of no other industry that could get 60 hours of labour for the small sum of £3 17s a week. The union thought that in justice to' these workers a substantial increase was due to them. Conditions in Australia. In Australia the dairy industry provided a 48-hour week for dairy factory workers, and if it could be done there the union could see no reason why it could not be done in New Zealand, where the climatic conditions for dairying were practically the best in the world. No evidence was called for the union. Mr. Wright said the union had placed the employers in an awkward position by making statements, unsupported by evidence, which the companies denied. The dispute had been before the Court on four previous occasions, and he was of opinion that a fairly satisfactory bassis had now been reached. It had always been considered by the companies that the hours for cheese companies were too short in the wintertime, as cheese could not be satisfactorily. made under a 60hour Week. In regard to a statement by Mr. John that the employers had not tried to meet the workers in concilation, he said that a minimum of £4 Is a week had been offered, provided other conditions were unchanged, and had been declined. Evidence was given by two officials of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company. Superannuation Contributions. The employers had inserted a clause in their proposals giving, the companies power to deduct from the wages of the workers contributions to superannuation funds, to which the union objected. Mr. Justice Frazer expressed a doubt whether the Court had any right to insert such a clause, .thus treating superannuation as an industrial matter. Later he, suggested that the matter might be got over by the men who wished to join the fund signing an authority for the company to make tho deduction. After some discussion, Mr, Wright said the position in regard to hours for cheese factories would be met if they were granted a minimum of 30 hours for June and July and 60 hours a week for the remainder of the year. Mr. John said that from the figures quoted in evidence it was apparent that 50 per cent, of the factory workers were put off after the rush period and did not get the benefit of the' shorter hours in the slack season. His Honor said the Court would, consider the representations and frame an award.