THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S DISPUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13846, 8 March 1907, Page 5

THE SLAUGHTERMEN'S DISPUTE.

CONFERENCBUN CANTERBURY, v. KO. SATISFACTORY "RESULT ; . ARRIVED AT, ! . ffES-UKTTED' PHESS 'ASSOCUTIOS.J ; i CHRIS rCHLVRCH, March''t" , >. _ The Conference between tho local- frees* '-oinpanic9 and tlito .Slaughtermen's Umon-«was resumed this' morning. At. tho . closo of tho .conference 31.r W. Murray, manager of Iho Christchurcli Meat Company, speaking for both companies, said' : • that no satisfactory result- had been, arrived at. The companies expressed! i oomplcto readiness 1o dfscuss' tho nien's dcni&nus 'provided atiy matters upon which 'i ' 1)0 [ ? m "' to agrco bo submitted jo tho 'decision of tho Arbitration Court. That, however, was jiiiet. by a unanimous declaration by both tiio oxecntivo of tho union ai'id tho dolegates present that, they indivi'ilually, and on behalf ,of the bodies whom tlicy represontocl, doclincd absolutely to submit in 1 any way to tho decision 'of flicV Arbitration Court. "It was felt >by the lepiosentatives of tho freezing companies,;' Mr Murray stated, " that further discussion was useless under such CiVouni* 'Mo ii Ms, and the con Toronto thorefovc\ tor- * mmated. _ Tho companies do not excess ' any opinion as to the demands riiadc\by the men or ilieiv union, but they consiuVr that any arrangement, should bo settled and affirmed under an award of the court)? 11"! real point, at issub is whether dis-\ pules between employer and employed''-,. should be settled by the method of.sink- \ in;,', as at present- attempted, or by tho : \ . system of arbitration provided for by, the \ .act. No settlement could bo olre'ciivo, \ ' ■to-rnl ■no conference could be other tllaa V. viutilc unless the disputed points should 1)3- > Uiui-tially referred to tlw proper tribunal'* established for that purpose. Tho companics still adhere to the offer made last week that if tho men return to work thev shall bo paid retrospectively from the dato of l'Mtarling work any rate of pay awarded by the court." Tho men are iw ouo in .' tho- statement that nothing will content theni,but the rate of 25s a hundred for i freozers, which (hey have been demanding ( since (he trouble began. -The extra money will bo more necessary to then* tmuii over now, (hey state, on account of the linos inflicted by the court. i THE MEN'S VIEWS. 0?Ron OUR OWN Cokresfondejit.) • CIIRISTCIIURCH. March 7, • " We, arc going to remain as u'e art. . until companies send for us," said ono of (ho Slaughtermen's Union's representatives at the conference to a Times reporter. "We have made up our .minds (hat- we will not start work again at less than 25s ppr 100 for freezers and shop sheep, iind 20s por 100 for potters and preservers, 'if the companies will not pay. us those rates, we will turn to other work.; Some of the men havo gone away already, and some are employed at other callings.; I don t caro if v l never do another, sheep ■ in my life, I hiiwe energy enough to pilsh ' > myself into something, and Canterbury is not the only place in tho world." '* "We are out for good," said anollier man. l 'Wc tried .everything that we know to bring; about a peaceful settlement, and we have asked lor nothing that is ! not just and fair, 'l.'to conference has produced absolutely liotJiing. We want an industrial agreement, and ■ tho . companies want us to abido \l>v the Arbitration Court award. Tho wen «ro,deter-, mined to receive,2ss per 100. as they will require the extra money on COOO sheep to pay the fines indicted by thoscaurt. .The companies simply would not 'discuss our proposals at all." \. . At the conferenco this morning tho , nien's representatives-said they wVro prepared to discuss the conditions of\labour that they had drawn, up. Tho managers asked whether the men would bo preXarod ■ to submit to tho Arbitration Court tiny points on which agreement could arrived- at, but tho replv was a decidwl refusal. Tho men stated tliafr tho uniom, was of opinion that an award by tho'' • ,'t Arbitration Court would bo less satisfactory than a mutual arrangement betweon tho parties. They did not think that tho court-, which was not acquainted with the conditions prevailing in tho trade, would give them. satisfaction, and they wished' rather to seouro an industrial agreement, which could be referred to tho court for its approval. "Wo do not want' io goto the court.at all," said- ono-of tho.delcgates later. "Wo have no- faith' in itho court. Our contention is that the cm- . ployers and tho men know inoro -abouMhe business than tho men who composo tho t'o'Hrt, and thero/oro wo think that wo :: ■ are in a better position to make an industrial agreement than the court-,is to make ail award. Tho managers would not dlv cuss theso proposals at all."