AWARDS AND DAIRY FACTORIES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14184, 9 April 1908, Page 5

AWARDS AND DAIRY FACTORIES.

(Fisou Our Own Correspondent.)

; t CHRISTCHURCH, April 8. ."No act that .was ever, passfed in New Zealand hag been more abused than the Arbitration Act. I am sony to eay that it has not been respected." Suoh was the opinion expressed by Mr Robert Rainey, tho well-known Tai Ta.pu farmer, in the course of his evidence before the Conciliation Board this morning, Speaking as a director of the Tai Tapu Dairy Company, Mr Rainey said ho was sorry to say that the award under which the men employed by tho company wero working was not acting justly. Mr J. Thorn pointed out that the award referred to was the outcome of an agreement entered into between the employers and employees, and that Mr Rainey was present when the agreement was arrived at.'

Mr Rainey, continuing, slated tliat under, the award some of the men received more and some less pay than under the previous conditions. The in,justice under the.award was tho provision for ,timo actually worked. Av man who started an hour later than another worked an hour moro. and got paid time an a-half overtime for it. Tho result was that the man who started early was not. in such a good position as he would have been if ho had been" getting a weekly wage. _ The operation of tho award had. caused friction between tho men and tho oompany, and they waited on the directors and asked that they should come under 'tlif old system of pay. Tho board replied that they wero under an award and could not interfere with it. The men then put this position to tho directors: Supposing we resign from the union; would you consider the matter? The directors had replied that it was a big question, and they would certainly consider the matter. They could not, however, break the law. Tho men thereupon sent in their resignations, but whether or not they had been accepted ho could not say. The company was now paying the old rate of wages, which were, he thought, slightly in excess of those paid by the award, but the time worked was kept in accordance with tho award. The men had pleasures and recreations—oricket and so forth,—and were able to irrango among themselves about doing the work. When some wished to go" off tho others pushed the work through. If tho work was done in half the time the men got their week's wages all the same, illStead of being paid for the actual time worked, as provided for by the award. The men had found that tho award did not suit them, and that they could not get away for half a day when they wanted. The company employed five men and Jiact wanted to keep them, but somo of them declared- that they would not etop if they had to work under the award.

Under cross-examinatioji by Mr Thorn! Mr Rainey stated that ho had' opposed tlio award when the provisions were being, discussed. Ho was not aware that the Central Dairy Company during tho first year worked under the award and made a profit of £5500.