THREATENED STRIKE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7020, 7 January 1910, Page 8

THREATENED STRIKE

IN THE SLAUGHTERING INDUSTRY. MEN NOTIFY INTENTION TO CEASE WORK. ON MONDAY FORTNIGHT. THE POSITION OUTLINED. After causing considerable anxiety for some months past the trouble which has been steadily growing among tho men engaged in tho Wellington slaughtering trade reached an acute stage yesterday afternoon. As a result, a strike is threatened in a fortnight's time. The whole trouble is one of wages, tho men demanding 25s per 100 sheep and lambs killed instead of tho 23s per 100 now being paid. This increase the companies have declined to give, and much negotiation has taken place over it between the men and the employers. Yesterday's move practically brought tho trouble to a head, tho whole of the slaughtermen employed' by the Wellington ivieat Export Company giving formal notice of their intention to strike. Tho notification is given under section 9 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1908. This clause provides special penalties with respect to strikes and lock-outs in certain specified industries, under which head slaughtering is included. It states: .

If any person employed in any of the industries to which this section applies strikes without having given to his employer, within one month before so striking, not less thaai fourteen days' notice in writing, signed by him, of his intention to strike, or strikes before the expiry of any notice so given by him, the striker shall be liable on summary oonviction before a Magistrate to a fLne not exceeding £25. By giving the foregoing notice, the strikers, instead of being liable to a penalty of £io each, will only be liable to a fine of £lO each, under clause 5 of the same Act, which roads: When a strike takes place in any industry every worker who is or becomes a party to the strike, and who is at the commencement of'the strike bound by any award or industrial agreement affecting that industry, shall ho liable to a penalty not exceeding £lO. SERIOUS POSITION. The position is far more serious than it has hitherto appeared, and it seems that the Slaughtermen's Federation, which came into existence last August, has fired a shot which may lead to a general strike of the slaughtermen throughout the Dominion. Prom inquiries made amongst the men concerned it appears that on Wednesday simultaneous action was taken by all the affiliated unions, and practically every big killing house throughout New Zealand, with the exception of the Wellington houses, was served with a notice asking for a new agreement raising the killing rate for sheep and lambs all round to a' minimum of 25s per 100, and for a maximum eight-hour working day. At the present time some slaughtering sheds have, a right to work nine hours a day at ordinary rates throughout the whole time. The federation now wants overtime for any period worked in excess of eight hours. There are between 600 and '7OO slaughtermen belonging to the 'federation, and the highest rate paid jis 23s per 100. In all about 140 slaughtermen are affected in Wellington—eighty at the Gear Meat Company's works and sixty at the Meat jEixport Company's. Some sheds only pay 23s for sheep killed for local conisumption and export; eighteen shillings and twenty shillings per one hundred being paid when sheep and lambs are killed for boiling down. The 'reason for this reduction is that " potters" do not require the same amount of care as carcases for export. THE WELLINGTON POSITION. In Wellington, however, the position is entirely different, a more acute stage having arisen here than exists at other places. When ,th© agreement—which is being complied with •at present—expired in June last, the 'Gear Meat Company and Wellington Meat Export Company opened up negotiations with, the union, with a view to a new agreement being drawn up. The union offered to again sign the expired agreement; and this offer was kept open for about three months. Various conferences between the men and the companies were held, but negotiations fell through, owing, the men state, to the companies': attitude in regard to the question of hours and other conditions, apart entirely from the question of remuneration. The men stood firm, and so did the employers. The next,move came from the employers, who put the matter in the hands of the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr P. Haffly), asking Mm to set in motion the machinery of the 1908 amendment to the Arbitration Act. The men took umbrage at this, and immediately withdrew their previous offers and stood out for 25s a hundred and an eight-ihour day. Mr Hally endeavoured to make the slaughtermen appoint assessors. This the union declined to do, holding that they had a right to choose their own weapons of defence, seeing that the fight was forced upon them deliberately. The result was the letter notifying the Meat Export Company of the men's intention to .strike. NOT A NEW DEMAND. The demand for 25s per 100 sheep is not a new ''departure. It "was made during the progress of the 1906 strike at Wellington. Prior to that time the men were working -under an agreement made in August 1904, which provided for the payment of £1 per 100. The agreement, however, was in February, .1907, held by the Arbitration Court to be invalid. A new agreement was mad© on June 10th, 1907, covering a period of two yefars, and work has be©D carried on under this agreement up to the present time. The principal clauses an the schedule attached to this document are as follow: — 'Pbe rate of pay for all sheep, lanibs, cattle :and pags slaughtered at the factories shall he as follows:—All sheep or lambs not otherwise specified £1 3s per hundred : all rams 5d each: all lambs requiring back sets 5d each; all sheep and lambs *ha± axe dead

when brought to the works Is each; all cattle 2s each; all pigs Is each; all calves Is each. Wages shall be paid, but no slaughterman shall bo employed on weekly wages. THE PRESENT AGREEMENT. Although uhe term of the foregoing agreement expired last June, under the Arbitration Act it is specified that such an agreement shall operate until an award is made, a new industrial agreement entered into, or until the union affected shall apply for cancellation of registration. The union not having applied for cancellation the agreement made in 1907 stands good. The employers some weeks ago took initial proceedings iindier the Act for an award, asking for 23s per 100. together with other conditions. Three asse-rcors were nominated by the employers and appointed, but the union declined to do likewise. Subsection 4 of section 32 of the 1908 Amendment Aclt treads: — Unless the respondents recommend the required number of qualified persons as assessors at least one clear day before the day appointed for the hearing of the dispute, the Commissioner shall forthwith appoint on behalf of the respondents such number of qualified persons as is necessary to supply the full number of assessors required. ■ INFLUX OF AUSTRALIANS. It has been stated in certain quarters that the present trouble has been brought about by Australian slaughtermen working in the Dominion. _ There has been similar trouble lately in New South Wales and Victoria; but the men hero deny that the crisis here has been affected by the influx of Australians. They point out, however, that the rates ruling in New South Wales arc higher than in New 'Zealand. For instance the rate at Aberdeen (New South Wales), is 26s per 100; Riverstone, 25s (3d; Young and Nyngan, 255; and a rise of 8s per week was to the mon at Glebo Island, bringing-the wages up to £3 18s per week. A great many of the New Zealand shrughtcirmen, it is stated, havo worked in Australia. In Melbourne a, few -weeks ago the men struck for 30s a hundred, and they received an offer of 255; but the works were closed down before amy definite stage Was reached owing to the coal strike. THE! WELLINGTON DEMANDS. The following is a copy of the letter and conditions forwarded by tho union and signed by the men to the Wellington Meat Ekport Company:—• In compliance with the provisions of section 9 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Act, 1908, notice is hereby given by us of our intention to strike if the demands of tho union for a minimum raite of 25s per 100 sheep or lambs, and other conditions as here attached, are not conceded. 1. Hours of Work.—Work shall commence at 8 a.m. each day, unless otherwise mutually agreed between the foreman and slaughtermen employed at the respective, works. Work shull cease after eight hours (including smoke-ohs) on five days of the week, and after 12 noon on Saturdays. 2. Rates of Pay.—Tho rate of pay for all sheep, lambs, cattle. and pigs slaughtered at the factories ehall be as follows:—All sheep and lambs not otherwise specified, 25s per hundred rail rams and; rigs, double, rates; all'lambs requiring back-sets,"double rates;'all sheep and lambs that are dead when brought to the works. Is each; all cattle, 2s each; all dead cattle, ss; all pigs over 1001 b in weight, Is 6d; less thtm 1001 b. Is each;' calvea up to 1001 b, each Is; over 1001 b, Is 6d each : 3. Payment of Wages.—Wages shall be paid weekly, but no slaughterman shall be employed on weekly wages. 4. Waiting Time.—ln each case where slaughtermen ure required l to' wait, for work after the usual time for starting work they shall be paid at the rate of 2s pea- hour for. all time so occupied in waiting. Slaughtermen, to wait 15 minutes in the event of a cut out, but after that time to be paid 2s per hour for all time so occupied in waiting. 5 Slaughtermen's Work.—The following shall constitute slaughtermen's work • —Killing, talcing off skins, taking insides out, wiping and hanging off. 6. Damage.—No slaughterman shall be required to buy any carcase he may damage, and no fines shall be allowed. 7. Competent Men.—None but competent men shall be employed as slaughtermen.

8. Regulation—Each slaughterman shall be provided with a hook, and not more than two men shall be allowed to work in any one pen. 9. Barrowing.-Nona but,. Union gutboys shall be allowed to barrow on the beards, and when they barrow they shull leg for slaughtermen equally and in rotation. No-gut-boy shall be allowed to leg more than three sheep per day t gut-boy is hereby defimed as a person engaged m taking fat off puunches and ring guts, cleaning guts, and pulling of! runners.

10. Beef Butchers' Work.-Beef butchers shall iliot be required ,to do the offal, nor to pay for any labour in correction with,: tho offal work. AH cuttle to be penned in the pithing pens'by the emplojers.

11. Holidays.—The Ist January, Christmas_.Day, Boxing Day, Anniversary Day, Bartnday of the .reigning Sovereign, Show Day, Good Friday, Baster Monday, and Labour Duy m each year shall be allowed as holidays. All work done on Christmas; Day, Good Friday, or on Sundays shall be paid for at double rates' All work done on any of the other holidays shall be puid for at the rate of rate and a half. ~ 12. Overtime.-All work" done after f. p.m. in works where the usual,, hour of starting is 8 a.m., and after eight ordinary working hours in works where an earlier start hus been, mutually agreed upon, shall bo paid for at the rat© of a quarter. No more than one hour s overtime shall be worked on "any one day. All work done after 12 noon on Saturdays shall be paid for at rate and a half. 13. Preference-Employers shall employ members of the Wellington Slaughtermen s Union in preference to non-mem-bers. ' 14. Dressing Room.-The employer S^ U F?^ de dressin S rooms with suitable bathing accommodation, and also dining-room. ' .15. MamUgement.-Subject to the provisions of this agreement; the employed shall have the fullest control of X factories, and may make such rules for « and 9«iw managenient thereof as they may deem expedient '■ EMPLOYEES' PROPOSALS. The rates of pay proposed by the Wellington employers ure as follows:-All sheep and lambs not otherwise specified f 3 P K r v°V a S S M . eaoh ' lambs requlr ing back-sets 5d each, sheep and iambdead when brought to the works Is each cattle 2s each, pigs Is,each, calve? 1 each, cattle dead when brought to the worte -te each. Wages to be paid week ly. Working hours to be between 7 alh and 7 p.m., except on Saturdays, when the hours snail be between 7 a.m' and 4, p.m All stock", killed before or 'after these hours or after eight hours' wo-k has been done, shall be paid at the rate of rate and a quarter. One hour to be allowed for dinner. Employers shall have the right to arrange the hours of work as the exigencies of their business shall require WUitung time to be paid at the rate of 2s per hour, if .the men

have to wait more than 15 minutes after the last man ha 6 cut out. THE, CANTERBURY COMPANIES. SIMILAR NOTICES SERVED. grECIAL TO THE "TIMES." CHRISTCHUKCH, January 6. Similar notices to the Wellington one have been served on the companies doing business in Canterbury with headquarters in Christchurch. The matter has not yet been fully considered by the companies, and no decision nas bejen come to. The representative of thle companies will hold a conference with the representatives of the union early next week.