FREEZING INDUSTRY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21263, 17 August 1932, Page 14

FREEZING INDUSTRY

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT NO AGREEMENT REACHED The dispute between employers and employees in the meat freezing industry was considered at a Conciliation Council presided over by Mr. W. Newton, actingConciliation Commissioner, yesterday, but no settlement was reached. The application is for a new award; the Freezing Works tind Related Trades Industrial Association of Workers submitting the terms of tho existing agieoment in opposition to the employers' proposals. dispute iis being considered on a Dominion basis, but in order that each district should be heard, a series of conferences is being held. The employers are advocating general reductions in- wages and suggest that slaughtermen's wages should be lowered from £2 to £1 9s a hundred for slaughtering sheep, from £1 17s 6d to £1 6s a hundred for lambs, from 2s fd to 2s a head for cattle, from 9d to 3d a head for bobby calves and from Is 4d to Is a head for ordinary calves. A new provision ia-that slaughtering by competent workers should be paid at the rate of 2s 6d an hour. Other, suggested changes are that fellmongery hands in the North Island should receive 6s 6d a hundred skins, against 8s at present, and that the wages of freezing chamber hands should be lowered from 2s 3d to Is lOd an hour. A further conference is to be held at New Plymouth on Friday and another at Wellington on Monday.