HIGHER PAY SOUGHT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10897, 11 May 1921, Page 5

HIGHER PAY SOUGHT

“INDUSTRY CANT BEAR IT” SHEARERS’ DEMANDS FOR ARBITRATION COURT, “WHEN WE GO DOWN.’* A Conciliation Council yesterday discussed the claims of the Wellington Shearers’ and Shed Hands’ Union for ai new award. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr W. Newton) presided, the assessors for the union were Messrs A. Cook, C. Snow and J. Kidner, and for the employers, Messrs W. H. Nicholson, Hugh Morison and W. Cecil Prime. The union asked for a 44-hour week, and pay for shearers at the rate of 35s per 100. For pressers, a weekly wage of £5 was claimed, or, by the hour, 2s 6d; and, for all other shed hands, £4 5a per week, or 2s. 3d per hour. Cooks, it was asked, should be paid £5 10s per week, and cooks’ assistants, £5 weekly. Counter-proposals were lodged by the employers, who offered shearers £1 per 100, and a week of 48 hours and twenty minutes. The rate of pay proposed for pressers was half that demanded by the union, and £2 per week was offered all other shed hands. The employers suggested that the wage for cooks should be not less than £3 per week. Mr Newton said he hoped the preliminary skirmish at Christchurch would serve to bring the parties closer together. "WE CANNOT AFFORD IT.” POSITION UNPARAULEUED. Mr Cook said that if the employers’ representatives were going to take up the same attitude as they had taken in Christchurch it was of no use going cn. The union assessors had come to the council in a conciliatory spirit, but they felt they could not discuss the employers’ offer of £1 a 100. Although the wool industry was at present unsatisfactory, the indications were for an improvement. Mr Nicholson said that the industry would not allow the payment of the wages asked. It was not that the employers wanted to cut down the, rates. The position was that the present conditions were unparalleled in the history of the country. If the shear erf. adhered to their claims a lot of time might be saved by leaving the wages claims to the court, as had' been done in Christchurch. Their views appeared to be so widely different that there was no alternative The employers could not depart from their offer. Mr Snow said that the cost of living had not gone down by 50 per cent., and'therefore to make a drop of, 50 per cent.' in wages meant that the shearer .would have a bigger battle than ever to fight for a living. Mr Nicholson said that the employers’ offer was based on the rates paid in the period from 19*14 to 1917; present prices were no more than they had been in 1902.

Mr Snow: And now you want to bump ns down 'before the cost of living declines. Mr Cook said he honestly thought, whgn he saw the employers’ counterproposals, that they were intended as a joke on the shearers. FOR THE SHEARERS. THE 50 PER' CENT. INCREASE. Mr Nicholson pointed out that the 50 per cent, increase that had been granted in the shearers’ wages since the war, had taken place or era period of six' years, while prices were going up. Each year the employers had met the workers with an increase in wages. At a previous conference one of the employees’ assessors had stated that as soon as prices receded the shearers would be willing to meet the farmer the other way. Yet what attitude were the assessors on the other side now adopting ? Mr Cook: Why not meet us now that there is a gradual decline in prices? , Mr Nicholson claimed that there had been no decline. He maintained that the farmers were offering proportionately better wages than in 1914. Mr Cook said that as far as the workers were concerned the cost of living had to he taken, into account. The cost of living was still up. Mr Nicholson: Do you mean to say a shearer in the industry to-day cannot make a good living on 20s a hundred?

Mr Caok: No. Mr Nicholson: Why, a learner could do it. Mi Cook; Yon won’t get yotar sheep shorn in New Zealand at £ 1 per 100. Mr Mnriaon: The men will come to The Commissioner asked whether the employers were willing to depart from their offer. If so, the other side might be willing to concede a point. lIP AGAINST THE WAGE.

Mr Morison: Wo are right up against the wall. That does not seemto be realised by the other side. Mr Cook: When the crash conies we are prepared to go down with you. Mr Morison :* There will be more people than you who will go down. The whole country will go down. The farmers are the foundation of the country’s prosperity. Mr Cook: During; the war the cry was, “Speed up.” That was to be the only solution of our troubles. Ihe workers were silly enough to take notice of it and the result is now that they have to pay. ■ _ Mr Nicholson said the employers could not depart from their offer. It was not a question of what they would like to give, but what the industry could afford. The farmer could not afford to have the whole of his» receipts wiped off by the cost of labour taxation r ~ . After further discussion the case was referred to the Arbitration Court.