STOPPAGE THREATENED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21315, 17 October 1932, Page 8

STOPPAGE THREATENED

MEAT EXPORT WORKS MEN'S WEEK-END DECISION OBJECTION TO NEW TERMS SUPPLY FOR THE CITY NO TROUBLE ANTICIPATED A decision not to accept the new wages and terms of employment offered by the meat export freezing companies was reached by slaughtermen and freezing works' employees at meetings held in Auckland and Horotiu, near Hamilton, during the week-end. The union has been notified that the new terms will come into operation today, while on the notices posted in each works it is stated that they will be enforced as from to-day throughout the 1932-33 season. The decision of the men means that unless there is a change in the position, no killing will take place at freezing works in the Auckland Province to-day. The works affected are Westfield, Southdown and Horotiu. The works at Moerewa, North Auckland; have not yet opened for the season, while the decision will not concern works in the Gisborne district, which will be subject to a separate vote by the men there, who comprise a sub-union. City Abattoir's Position The supply of meat for the city is not expected to be affected, as the employees at the City Council abattoirs and the works of It. and W. Hellaby, Limited, at Westfield, are under separate agreements, although they members of the same union. It is anticipated that these workers will continue to kill, as the agreements, which are based on yearly occupation and not on seasonal killing, are regarded by the union as satisfactory. The Horotiu works, where killing will stop, supply meat for consumption in Hamilton and other Waikato towns, as there is no abattoir at Hamilton. . The new terms follow unsuccessful negotiations held in all parts of New Zealand, and are to be general throughout the Dominion, coming into force in the North Island to-day and in the South Island, where the killing season commences later, on October 31. In Auckland conciliation proceedings were held on August 16, and no agreement was reached. After notification had been given that there had been no settlement, the award automatically expired in the Auckland industrial district. ' The employers then drew up new terms, which the union declares differ materially from those offered at the Conciliation Council, and these were posted last week in the works. Action at Men's Meetings A meeting of the men employed at the Horotiu works, near Hamilton, was held on Saturday, all the men employed being present, and it was decided almost unanimously to refuse work under the new conditions. Yesterday morning a meeting, lasting three hours, was beld at the Trades Hall, 350 hands from the Westfield and Southdown works being present. A similar resolution was passed unanimously. The secretary of the Auckland Union, Mr. W. E. Sill, stated last evening that even if new terms were proposed by the employers this morning and the conditions posted up were withdrawn there was no likelihood of the men returning to work, as any proposal which was not made to the union first would not be acceptable to the men. Representatives of the two freezing companies concerned, the Auckland Fanners' Freezing Company and the Westfield Freezing Company, last evening declined to comment on the position. ' There is little activity in export killing at present, as the lamb season is not yet under way and killing of bobby calves is declining. The pork export season is fur- . ther advanced than that for lamb, and from 600 to 1000 pigs have been dealt with at Westfield in recent weeks. A considerably greater output than last season is expected, given normal conditions. The trade begins normally to resume activity next month. ATTITUDE OF THE MEN WAGE REDUCTION ISSUE NEGOTIATIONS REVIEWED Tho attitude of the employees to the new terms was outlined last evening by the secretary of the Auckland Slaughtermen's Union, Mr. W. E. Sill, who stated that, in addition to opposing the wages and conditions, tho men objected to the method by which the proposals had been made known to them. After detailing the unsuccessful pegotiations, which had been commenced in July, Mr. Sill said that when no agreement bad been reached the freezing companies had refused to go to the Arbitration Court. After the award had lapsed the employers had posted the notices in the works. Many of the new terms were not in the employers' original proposals, and the companies had made no offer to the union with the terms as a basis. "I contend that they are trying to foist theso terms on the workers as a settlement," continued Mr. Sill, who declared that tho notices had been drawn up in | imitation 'of an award. "Workers who conio on the job for the season and are not in touch with"the,union all the year round will sec the document and take it to mean a settlement." Mr. Sill also contended that the employers had attempted to force tho new proposals on the men by having the award cancelled too early. The Act provided that after unsuccessful conciliation proceedings if no settlement had been reached within 30 days notification should be given and the award would then lapse. Ho claimed that tho notification had been given before the expiration of 30 days and was, therefore, invalid, with the result that the award had been cancelled too soon. Tho wage reductions were not acceptable to the men, and were very heavy' in some cases, said Mr. Sill. "Any new conditions offered will not bo acceptable to the men unless they are first put before the union for discussion," he added. "Wo have always adopted the principle of collective bargaining, and it "rrtust be continued."