RATES OF PAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22628, 16 January 1937, Page 13

RATES OF PAY

CONDITIONS OF AWARD EXPIRES ON JUNE 50 MR. MONTIETH'S DISSENT The Dominion award fixing warking conditions in the freezing inc.ustry, which is objected to by the nun engaged in stay-in tactics at the Westfield works, the Southdown works, the King's Wharf works and the Borotiu works, was issued in November - , and it remains in force until June 3C next, so that it is intended to apply for the present season only. The workers' representative on the Court of Arbitration (Mr. A. L Monteith) dissented from the decision of the Court only as it affected wag; rates for hourly workers, 'lhe minimum rate, he stated, should have been 2d an houi higher. In the present dispute, a 40hour week, with wage increases, is demanded by the n\en. Hours of Work Under the award the ordinary hours of work arc eight hours, including "smoko" between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days of the week, an.l four hours between 7.30 a.m. and noon on Saturday. Overtime is at the rate af time and a-half for the first six hours and double time thereafter. Waiting time rates are 2s Gd an hour for pieceworkers and 3s an hour for slaughtermen. All workers are entitled to holidays on New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, the Sovereign's Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Easter Saturday and Anniversary Day, or one other day, may be mutually agreed upon. The Prescribed Wages Wages prescribed for the chain system slaughter are 3s an hour and for ring system slaughtering not less than 3s an hour. Ordinary piecework rates are £2 a 100 for sheep, £1 17s 6d for lambs, and £2 6s for show sheep and lambs. Double rates are prescribed for unshorn sheep after November 30 and rate and a half for North Island rams after January 1 and South Island rams after February 1. For cattle the rate is 2s 7d a head except in specified classes, and for calves from 7d to Is lid. For pigs rates range from Is 4d to 2s 9d, according to weight, with 2d added for singeing or 4d deducted for mechanical scudding. Slaughterhouse and cooler-room assistants receive: Boners, 2s 6d an hour or from 8d to lid per quarter on piecework, depending on the beast. For cutmen, hands, trimmers, general labourers, and others not otherwise specified the rate is 2s id an hour; for runners-off, 2s 2d; for strippers, 2s sd; for meat graders (not permanent), 2s 3£d an hour; and for shop butchers (not permanent), 2s 4d an hour. Subsidiary Departments

In the fellmongery pullers receive 8s per 100 skins in the North Island and BJd to 9£d per dozen, according to the season, in the South Isjand. For skinwashers the rate is 2s an hour or from Is lOd to 2s 6|d a 100. Limedollymen, painters, and trimmers are paid 2s an hour or from 3s 10Jd to 4s 5d a 100, depending on the locality and the season. Piece or pie-men rates are from Is 7d to 2s 6d, wool-driers 2s Id, pressers 2s Id an hour, or Is 5d a bale.

lii the felt department limers are paid 2s ltd an hour, fleshers 2s Id and 2s l}d an hour, or Is 3Jd to Is 6Jd a hundred on piecework, scudders 2s Id an hour or 2s ljd a hundred, feltclassers and pelt-curers 2s an hour, and others 2s Id. Freezing-chamber hands are paid 2s 3d an hour, and preserving department workers from 2s Id to 2s 6d.

The award prescribes four classes of labour for the casing department—-machine-feeders; classers, scrapers, measurers, tank-hands, strippers, and vat-men; bung-hands, salters, learners, and workers not otherwise specified; and youths. Wages for the first class are 2s 6d an hour, for the second 2s sd, for the third 2s 2d. Piecework rates per thousand are: Strippers, £1 8s lOd; short bungs, £1 6s; long bungs, £1 lis 9d.

Other wage rates include: Manure, tallow, and oleo departments. 2s Id an hour; hidehouse, 2s Id and 2s lsd an hourj watchmen, £4 18s a week; greasers, firemen, cleaners, gas-pro-ducers, and trimmers, 16s 8d for a watch of eight hours; casual watchmen, 2s Id an hour; shunters, 2s Id an hour; coopers, 2s 4d an hour; others, 2s Id an hour. HAWKE'S BAY WORKS NO ACTION TAKEN PROTEST AGAINST THE AWARD

[by telegraph—own correspondent] HASTINGS, Friday

Stop-work meetings to discuss Auckland developments in the freezing works dispute were held by the Tomoana and Whakatu branches of the Wellington Freezing Workers' Union this morning. At both meetings resolutions were passed supporting the attitude of the Auckland men, but in the meantime it.was decided tc return to work, and operations at Tomoana and Whakatu resumed normally this afternoon.

Mr. A. Ogilvic, secretary of the Tomoana branch, advised that the following resolutions were passed afc this morning's meeting: "(1) That the Tomoana branch desires that the Minister of Labour be requested to speed up negotiations in regard to a satisfactory settlement of the freezing works dispute; (2) that failing anything satisfactory being done regarding a settlement, the Tomoana branch makes a recommendation to the head branch of the Wellington Union that the Auckland attitude be supported."

Advice was also received from the Whakatu branch that a resolution had been passed to the effect that the Auckland attitude be supported financially, but in the meantime that work be resumed and the award be abided by under protest. "I will be surprised if there are any serious developments." said a representative of one of the companies this morning. "All I know is that the men I wished to have a meeting to discuss the Auckland business." TARANAKIUNTROUBLED DIFFERENT WORKING CONDITIONS [by telegkaph—own correspondent] NEW PLYMOUTH, Friday The Taranaki freezing works are in no way affected by the Auckland dispute. It is stated that working conditions in Taranaki are very different from those in Auckland. Work is proceeding normally at Borthwick and Sons' freezing works at Waitara, at the Taranaki Producers' Freezing Company's stores at Ngamotu, New Plymouth, and at the Patea Freezing Company's works at Patea,