WORKS IDLE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22620, 7 January 1937, Page 10

WORKS IDLE

FREEZING DEADLOCK ONE COMPANY AFFECTED SEQUEL TO GO-SLOW TACTICS [BY TELF.GUAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION'] CIJRISTC'HUKCII, Wednesday A deadlock which has been reached in the dispute between the butchers and the company has resulted in Borthwick's freezing works at Belfast becoming idle. "Go-slow" tactics were adopted on the killing chains yesterday, and at two o'clock work was stopped. 'I he men returned to work this morning and manned the chains at the request of the employers. A "go-slow" policy was again put into operation and after an hour word was given for work to cease. It has been stated that the men were told to collect their pay and that they were not to return to work. A meeting of the Canterbury Freezing Workers' Union has been called for 10.;S0 o'clock to-morrow morning. As far as can be ascertained the dispute at present is confined to the one company, but the men are already con-1 fident that they will receive support from the employee* of other works in | Canterbury. Borthwicks were not j operating at the Addington market J when to-day's sale opened, but other j companies bought freely. On behalf of the men it was stated j this morning that the dispute aroso when the company, without increasing the daily quota of killings, decided to employ an additional number of men on the chains. Wages are drawn from a pool and the men complain that by j increasing the number of hands with- j out raising the quota of killings tho ; company has asked them to accept ! lower wages. CONFERENCE AT WELLINGTON CLAIMS FOR SHORTER WEEK [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Wednesday A conference between representatives of the workers and employers engaged in the freezing industry throughout New Zealand took place in Wellington this week. The principal issues were the 40-hour week sought by the employees in place of the existing 44-hour week, and wages. No finality was reached, and the conference was adjourned after a committee had lx?en appointed to consider minor questions. The workers claimed that in working a 44-hour week they automatically lost 23d an hour in comparison with the rates of pay earned by employees in other industries where the 40-liour week was in operation. Freezing workers were now receiving 2s Id j an hour, it was stated, and they | claimed that they should bo paid : 2s 3jd.