CONCILIATION BOARD.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4081, 20 June 1900, Page 2

CONCILIATION BOARD.

THE BUTCHERS’ DISPUTE. When the Conciliation Board resum-ed-yesterday afternoon Mr McArtney, on behalf- of - the- small butchers, submitted the'following counter claims ; — 1 -First shopman...£2 10s per week and found, or 10s : ad,ded; second shopman, £2; third shopman, £1 10s: first small goods'..man£2..los;. first assistant, £T ss; second assistant, ;15s ; boy, 10s (dry pay): first-class general hand £1 10s; second-class general hand, £l. In all ca2cs,-except that’of boys’, the binplSS , 'c®' is to bo “found,” or an equivalent of 10s per week allowed, apd also meat to the value of os per week (current ■cash- prices) is provided’ for. Casual labour, 8s per day, except Saturday, which shall be 10s per day (dry pay)— i.e., no meat. Hawking and order carts—A man doing trade to the value of £6O per month and under to receive £1 os per week and found, or- 10s added in each, case; £7O and under, £1 12s 6d ; £BO and under, £1 15s; over £BO, £2. All cartmen to put in their full hours. Hours of labour—6l hours per week," divided as follows-.—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 6 a.in. to 5.30 p.m., less half an hour for breakfast and one hour for dinner; Wednesday, 6 a,m. to 1 p.m., less half an hour for breakfast; Saturday, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.. less, .half an hour for breakfast, one hour for dinner, and one hour for tea. Hours on all days'preceding, a whole ■ holiday shall be the same as for Saturday. No overtime to' bo recognised, as the existing amicable arrangements as to give-and-take in hours have worked so satisfactorily; do pot believe in the-claira to liaVe appreritlces.' Employers when working in the shop to rank ’as; first,'.shopmen. , . Stnull goodsunm to ho .wholly’ .employed at small goods,.. otherwise -to rank as general hand. Meat to bo allowed to married' men only to the value ot 5s per week at current cash prices if the principle of giving meat ' is 1 approved by the Board. I claim for freedom of con-, tract to employ whom, I choose. Mr McArtney then reviewed, the evidence given on behalf of the union, and by its representatives, contending that the trade . was not dangerous,' nor -especially laborious; that .the, log submitted by the union was excessive that all modern practice was against the apprenticeship ' of ! boys ; .that cu% tom in regard to holidays should not be interfered with; that freedom of contract should still continue—the Board, having no more right to ’compel' an employer to take cognisance as to whether a, man was a unionist or; a non-union; ist than it had to make a stipulation as to creed; that all, the evidence had favoured freedom of contract ; and .that sixty-one hours’., labour summer arid /Winter’ would be. more reasonable than the hours proposed by the unionists. 1 Mr Brown, on. behalf of the large butchers, contended that Of recent years there had been steady progress towards bettering the working conditions, and shortening the hours of the workers; that the hours at present existing were dictated' by public convenience, and could not therefore, be altered unless the public taste became different; that boys were not benefited-: by indenturing; that overtime was unnecessary, the old method of give and take being) better; that the, trade would not stand an increase of wages, in view of the extra cost entailed by the >riso in -the price of horses and'material, arid the losses which took place in connection - with * the condemnation of 1 dis- 1 eased stock. '

Mr Bust ' replied on behalf of 'the union, and. intimated that he was prepared, to agree, that; retail shops should be closed at" 8 in the summer and 9 in the winter -pri Saturday nights. He said some,'of‘the master butchers them, selves admitted that the hours worker) by the men. were, too long at present. The . cpiitentidu. no,. skill Was, re-, ejuirbd 'by shopmen was a false doctrine. The leadiiig butchers :were at present paying within an ace of the unionists’ demands. tow’ wages meant boy . labour. The trade was dangerous -in some respects,, and the men were perpetually liable to in jury. To stop Who supply of meat to .employees would bo an .unworthy.-retrogression. from an old established trade usage. The> butchering trade was- engaged in the manufacture of , human and em. ployees 'c,a.me within the scope of the Act 'as : aix .union.” . Union-, ists had been'proved id 'be' the best class,of men' employed Jn_the -butchering business and could therefore be fairly awarded preference. Unionism properly conducted cemented the best" interests of bath masters and men. 5-

- This closed the case' on both sides and the Board, will now proceed to the consideration of its award. ’ ■■■!