FREEZING WORKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22724, 10 May 1937, Page 12

FREEZING WORKS

DISPUTE AT WAIROA BUTCHERS' BRIEF STOPPAGE PAY ADJUSTMENT ARRANGED [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] GISBORNE, Saturday Fifteen butchers on the sheep killing boards at the Wairoa freezing works yesterday stopped work for two hours, resuming after securing an adjustment in rates of pay. The dispute arose because of a demand by the butchers that assistants for finish-off dressing should be paid by the company, and not by the men, as hitherto. The men met Mr. H. Cricliton, Wairoa manager for Swifts (New Zealand), Limited, and a compromise was effected. Killings are done at Wairoa under <a combination of the chain and solo systems. The butchers were paid award rates for killings, taking the pelts otl and hanging them on rails, where assistants finish the dressing. The practice has been that the butchers themselves should pay the assistants, but the butchers yesterday demanded that they should receive full award rates, the company at the same time paying the assistants.

After a conference with the men an agreement was reached whereby the butchers would receive less than hitherto, and assistants would bo paid by the company, which works out at full award rates for the completed work as before. THE AUCKLAND TROUBLE MINISTER ANSWERS PROTEST [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT.'] OPOTIKI, Saturday The acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. P. Eraser, in rcplv to tho protest of the Opotiki branch of the Farmers' Union against the methods adopted by the Minister of. Labour in settling; tho recent freezing workers' dispute, stated that he had noted the branch's opinion and that the representations would be placed before the Government at an early date. In his reply, which was read at today's meeting, the acting-Prime Minister further wrote: —"In regard to your remarks that members were of the opinion that if such an incident occurred again the farmers should take the matter in their own hands and run the freezing works themselves rather than have the produce of the ccuntrv held up for such a tri\ial dispute, I have to state that while I can understand and sympathise with the irritation caused through the men involved in the dispute, I am firmly of opinion, after an examination of all the factors of the situation, that in the circumstances the Minister of Labour did everything humanly possible to terminate the trouble in a way as fair and beneficial as possible to all concerned. It should be clcaily understood that any attempt to violate law and order by any section of the community, under any pretext whatever, shall be effectively dealt with, and there should be no thoughts on the part of any persons of taking the law into their own hands. "If the Minister of Labour had not succeeded in arranging a settlement there would have been no option but to force the full measure of the law acaiust those who were violating it, even though in such event unpleasant consequences might have been inevitable. Happily the action of the Minister of Labour led to a reasonable consideration of the position by _ all concerned, and the events that might have proved tragic, and would probably have left in their train bitterness and dissension, were averted. ' The president of the branch, Mr. A. Martin! said the letter was humorous and contradictory. It was decided to write to the acting-Prime Minister, pointing out that his letter was contradictory.