FREEZING DISPUTE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11047, 2 November 1921, Page 4

FREEZING DISPUTE

NEW AWARD WANTED CASE FOR EMPLOYERS STATED TO COURT. EVIDENCE AS TO HIGH CHARGES. The sitting of the Arbitration Court in connection 'with the freezing works employers’ dispute, opened on Monday, and was resumed yesterday" morning. His Honour Mr Justice Frazer presided, with Mr W. Scott as assessor for the employers and Mr M. J. Reardon as assessor for the emplovees. Mr A. S. Oookson and. Mr W. A- AV. Grenfell appeared for the employers, and F. J. Niall and W. E. Sill for the employees. Mr- Cookson raised the point as to whether the court should sit, in the various districts before making an award. The freezing companies, he said, could not open the season under the present rates of pay, and every North Island works must open withm the next two or three weeks. The employers had done everything to expedite proceedings, whereas the action of the federation officials had been the cause of delay; and, further, the attitude adopted by them yesterday showed no intention on their part to assist the court to arrive at a decision. This raised the question of the bonus, which was offered last December and accepted bv the federation, to remain in force until August- 31st. The bonus was not registered, and formed no part of the award; but, if the federation officials had shown any willingness to bring about a settlement at an early date for the North Island, the bonus would have been continued without question until the commencement of the new award. “As matters now stand,” said Mr Cookson, “unless the union officials will assist the oourt to vary the procedure by agreeing to the elimination of unnecessary hearings, so that au award for the North Island can be granted forthwith, the labour committee feels compelled to and will instruct the companies to withhold the -bonus and start operations on the basis of the 1919 award, on the understanding that the rates of wages will, as soon as the award is published, he brought into line from the date when the bonus shall have ceased.” Mr; Sill took exception to the statement that the union was delaying proceedings. There should be no award made just on the evidence brought forward in regard to the North Islapd. They would prefer to accept Hie Honour’s suggestion for a hearing in Christchurch also. 'His Honour said they would’ feel more satisfied if they heard the Canterbury case before making an award. It would only make a difference of a week or two. The temporary witholding of the bonus was a matter for the employers. It might only create friction. . Mr Cookson proceeded to deal with' the case for the companies at considerable length, and with much detail Prior to the war, he said, the freezing companies and their employees were operating under individual awards or agreements, and the employees were divided into six groups:—(l) Slaughtermen; (2) slaughtermen assistants; (3) tanners and fellmongers; (4) manure, oleo, and general labourers; (5) firemen and greasers; (6) sausage casing hands. There had been no serious friction, 'with the exception of the slaughtermen’s strike in 1913. The custom of renewing agreements held until August, 1916, when it was agreed that all the groups should come under one agreement or award, and since that date the agreements had always been with the whole of the freezing works and related trades employees’ unions on the one side, and the whole of the freezing com-, pames on the other side, with only small and inconsiderable exceptions. The proposals now put forward by the employers provided for practically uniform awards, at any rate through the North Islands This was an argument in favour of a single hearing for the whole dispute. A. settlement was urgent and imperative in the North Island in order to avoid the loss which would be inflicted on farmers if the works were unable to handle stock immediately it was- ready for the market. THE RISE IN WAGES. Tracing the rise in wages since 1916, Mr Cookson said that the 1919 agreement was called for and entered into at tile height of the season, when to permit a stoppage of operations would have been disastrous to the country, and at a time when an acute shortage of labour existed. This was the cause of the excessively high rate of wages granted. In February, 1920, they called for a bonus and got one at the height of the season. Protracted discussion between July and December, 1920, lead to further concessions, bringing the total bonus addition to the rates fixed by the agreement of April, 1919, to 25 per cent, to hourly and weekly workers, and 20 per cent, to piece-workers. In the new proposals of the employers, the conditions, but not the rates of wages, were those which had been in force prior to April, 1919; the wages were, in nearly every case, those prescribed by the 1919 agreement. The employees felt that on these lines the best interests of the industry, and of the country as a whole, would be served. , THE SLUMP. The slump in the price of primary products of the Dominion, and the effect of the Imperial commandeer in entailing heavy expenditure in cool stores were discussed at some length. As to ladk of efficiency, Mr Oookson said that, although the nominal rates of wages between 1914 and 1921 had increased by 86 per cent., the actual cost of labour in the performance of a given amount of work had increased by 100 per cent. An elaborate chart was produced by Mr Cookson, to show a comparison of basic wage with cost-of-living figures. Wages had risen during the seven-year period 87.5 per cent., as compared with 78.97 per cent, increase in the cost of living. The continued fall in the cost of living was calculated to bring basic wages in the same proportion to Is 7jd per hour, so that the employers’ offer of Is 9d must he considered reasonable. From February, 1922 to the end of the season, the Is 9d rate would be in excess of the cost-of-living rate, this a merely nominal rate of pay. EMPLOYERS’ PROPOSALS. The employers’ proposals were;—(l) The ordinary eight-hour day to be any eight hours between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. as against 7.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. (2) Elimination of the provision for payment of overtime to slaughtermen for all work done before 8 a.m. (3) Provision for alteration, bv mutual agreement, in the ; time allowed for lunch in any department in any works. In regard to 'freezing chamber hands, Mr Oookson emphasised the importance of haying no hampering restrictions placed on hours of work, and in order to compensate the workers for somewhat irregular hours and low temperabiurcti. the employers. afiexed,. s a higher

rate of pay —Is lid an hour —for this class of work. The proposals for wages generally followed the lines of the 1919 agreement, and the court would be asked to maintain the present relation between the < different classes of work. In regard to overtime, Mr Oookson submitted that if the overtime rates were increased, the relief afforded by a reduction in wages would be largely minimised. As to “smoke oh” of 15 minutes morning and afternoon, the employers considered it too long, and suggested that a spell of ten minutes was ample. In regard to the counter-proposals of the employees, Mr Cookson strongly opposed the demand for a minimum wage of £2 15s, first introduced in the 1919 agreement. It was the desire of both parties that the award should cover only the coming season’s operations. The date of expiry was suggested as June 30th, 1922. EVIDENCE OF EMPLOYERS. POSITION OF COMPANIES. Evidence was then called for the employers. James Christopher Cooper, managing director of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company, said that 90 per cent, of the sharelioldem were farmers. Out. of' £7130 profit last year £6950 was earned by the London Agency, leaving about £IBO for the net profits of the freezing part of the concern. The great majority of the freezing companies in the North Island were in a far worse position. Out of eleven companies the total profits shown were £16,561, while the companies making a lots showed the total losses of £IOB,802. Commandeered meat would help rather than otherwise. Continuing, Mr Cooper 6aid it did not pay to work overtime, and overtime was avoided as far as possible. The wages per carcase exceeded those paid in 1914 by 104 per cent. This was largely'due to a loss of time on the part of the workers. A surplus of labour was carried to meet the shortcomings of the slaughter department. The rates paid for slaughtering per 100 had risen from 26s in 1913 by stages to 30s, to 355, and lastly to 425. The maximum amount of meat killed in any one fortnight was 2,119,6241 b, at 27s 6d per 100 head; at 35s per 100 the lbs killed in the same period were 1,924,627, and at the increased rate of 42s the amount dropped further to 1,909,1551 b. The same number of slaughtermen were on the books all the time, and the reduction was due to lose of time and slackness. At 27s 6d per 100, the amount paid out for slaughtering was £578; at 30s, £668; at 355, £1097; and at 425, £lll6. Thus, the quantity of meat actually killed was a decreasing quantity, while the amount of wages paid had doubled. At 27e 6d per 100 the cost of killing amounted to .065 d per lb; at 30s, to .079 d per lb; at 355, ,136 d per lb; at 425, .146 d per lb. The cost of killing had risen by 124$ per cent, since 1914. Mr Cooper gave an interesting comparison of the value to the farmer of fat stock in 1913, 1919, and the present day. In 1913, be said, a fat lamb averaging 361 b was worth to the farmer—would net him—l6s 6d ; in 1919, £1 4e id; present day prime Canterbury, 14s sd; average North Island, probably 103. Fat sheep: 1913-1919, £1 10s 6d; present time, 11s Bd. Fat ewes: 1913, 16s; 1919, £1 8s 2d; present time, probably 4s 3d. Beef; 1913, £1 per 1001 b; 1919, £2 4s per 1001 b; present time, 15s per 1001 b. THE FARMERS’ LOSSES. The afternoon was devoted to the hearing of evidence in support of the employers’ proposals that the 1919 agreement regarding wages, the stricter conditions of work existing up to that time, should be reverted to. This was particularly directed to proving that the standard of work during the war had 1 declined, owing to time off through concessions, 6ueh as “smokos,” etc. The witnesses called in this respect were Messrs J. C. Cooper, managing director of the Waingawa Works, Mr H. G. Warren, manager for Nelson Brothers, and Mr W. F. Cederwell, general manager of the Gisborne Farmers’ Freezing Company. INCREASED CHARGES. Alf. Stewart, farmer, of Master ton, gave evidence as to the increased charges the farmers had to contend with. Seed and) manure had increased in price by about 75 per cent., and implements by about 109 per cent. His lesses for last year amounted to approximately £6OO. Ebenezer Hay, farmer, of Marlborough, stated that the farmers last year paid out for shearing about £600,000, and for freezing, roughly, double—about £1,209,000. He quoted figures showing how the prices realised for fat stock had fallen. Prior to August he sold 400 fat lambs at 22s 6d a head. That was before tho drop in lamb came. On the same date he sold fat wethers for 29s a head. On March 9th he sold cattle which were , jus* as ’good as those he had previously disposed of for 18s, and fat lambs for 18s 2d. Later in the same year he sold lambs at 17s a head, and later still, at 17s 9d. Air Cookson: To what do you attribute the present position P Witness: The high charges for working the farms, the high freezing charges, increased taxation, and, especially, the wool prices and labour charges. His Honour: The primary products before anything else?—Yes. EVENING SESSION. THE FARMERS’ PLIGHT. On the resumption of the court at 7.30 p.m., Alexander Ross, former, of Master-ton, said that the acreage of his holding was 930. He was or the opinion that feed cost 50 per cent, more to grow now than formerly. He could corroborate the evidence which had been given by previous witnesses as to the depreciation in the value of stock. If the present prices were maintained he would find it impossible to carry on. Howard Spooner, farmer, Masterton, said that his farm, was of 875 acres, and that he had farmed for ten years, at the end of last year he practically had to sacrifice some of his stock. On the prices now quoted he could not possibly carry on through the coming season. “A GODSEND TO THE COMPANY.” Charles M. Cresswell, secretary of the Wanganui Freezing Company, said that his firm had not mads an increase in freezing charges during the Imperial Government’s commandeer. Storage charges from the Imperial Government and the increase in the value of byproducts. had enabled them to wm through. Between certain hours the lightermen were paid overtime, plus ordinary time. They were paid at an hourly rate. They considered that they should be able to employ a second set of learners in each season if they no desired. Wages for carcase work by lightermen had risen 115 per cent, since 1914. To Mr Sill: Last year’s profit by his company had amounted to £lls. It was impossible to carry on during the busy season unless they had shift work. The late commencement of-op-erations last season had been a Godsend to the company. He considered that thav could turn out a competent

slaughterman in three or four monthsHe did not believe that it took from five to seven years to make a slaughterman. The scarcity in them, was dug to the fact that the freezing works had been unable to get their full CO®plement of learners going. There had been no understanding between tho men and the company for work to fo done in any different manner. LEARNERS AND SLAUGHTERMEN, Francis Theodore Ager, manager of the Wairoa Farmers’ Meat Co., Wai« roa, said that it was impossible under the existing limitation of learners to train sufficient slaughtermen for the industry. There were a large number of farm hands in Bis district who were need to station killing and would make good recruits. Clothing and,gear supplied had been used carelessly by the men. To Air Niall: He had tried repeatedly to obtain New Zealand slaughtermen, without success. James S. Jessop, sheepfarmer, o( Wairoa, and chairman of directors of the Wairoa Freezing , Co-, considered that the principal difficulties of Increasing charges were the. high price of labour and the restrictions placed upon it. Frank S. Candy, manager of the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Meat, Company, considered that a reduction in rates of pay of, say, 20 per cent., would he reasonable,"taking into account the reduced rates which producers had to avcept.l Edward C. Corner, manager of the stock department of tho Gear Meat Co., said that he.was of the opinion that rate and a half was sufficient pay for killing woolly sheep. Ho considered that permanent hands should be exempt from awards. Alfred Griener, fellmongery manager nt the Gear Co.’s works, was in favour of liberty to employ shifts if required. He considered the piecework rates proposed to be reasonable. At the conclusion of the evidence of this witness the court was adjourned till 2.15 p.m. today.