STABLE HANDS' CLAIMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23052, 1 June 1938, Page 16

STABLE HANDS' CLAIMS

WAGES AND CONDITIONS PROPOSALS TO EMPLOYERS REQUEST FOR AGREEMENT [BY TELEGRAPH —PRKSS ASSOCIATION] CIIRISTCIIURCH, Tuesday Better wages and living conditions and hours of work arc the main points dealt with in the proposed agreement which the Canterbury Stable Hands' Union lias forwarded to the Canterbury Owners, Breeders and Trainers' Association for consideration. This is the first proposal of its kind in New Zealand. The Owners' Association will consider the demands at a meeting to-morrow night. The wages claims have been framed as follows:—Head lad, £2 ]os a week; adult workers, 21 years and over, £1 10s; under 21 years, £1 ss; apprentices, 10s for tlie first six months of probation, 15s for the next IS months, and, thereafter, £1 a week until they have served their apprenticeship term, adult stroppers in trotting stables, £2 a week (as they look after more horses as a general rule than stroppers in racing stables); casual workers, 10s a day, with a minimum of three days when attending race meetings, otherwise ordinary rates. There is no set rate at present, but in Canterbury stables anything from 10s to £1 os a week is paid. One day off in every week, with a maximum of ."56 hours' working time, and the employing of one apprentice to every two stable hands, are other features of the claims. Earlier it was anticipated that the demands would be far in excess of those made, but a lead to the actual position was given some time ago when it was announced that they would bo reasonable.