DAIRY EMPLOYEES' DEMANDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16120, 8 July 1914, Page 3

DAIRY EMPLOYEES' DEMANDS

PROPOSED AGREEMENT. EMPLOYERS NOT FAVOURABLE. The Otago and Southland Cheese and Buttar Factories Employees (other than managers) have invited the dairy factories to send delegates to a conference at InvercargiU on the 24th inst. to discuss the demands of the newly-formed union. The committee of the South Island Dairy Association will meet at Invercargill at 11 a.m. to consider thie matter, and, if necessary, to confer with the factories' delegates either before or after the conference. The union's demands are euch as to prevent great, if nol insurmountable, difficulties. The limitation of working hours alone presented greaf difficulties, so much so that the Factory Managers' Union, saw such an arrangement to be impossible. There is no time limit in the agreement come to between then. end the employers. The limitation of tinii worked can hardly be employed, in this or any agricultural industry. Cows give milk Sunday and week days, and there is no breed of cows that milk only six days a week. The milk has to be properly handled on Sunday ae well as any other day or wasted. Fanners in dairy districts are not tied down to dairying, the price of lambs and sheep being so high, and if the industry is hampered by unreasonable working demands many of them will give up cows and go in for the much easier work of fattening eheep and lambs. The proposed agreement between the Southland and Otago Dairy Assistants' Union and the South Island Dairy Association and other dairy employees is as fol1. Classification of theee factories shall be ee follows:—For first class factories, 300 tons and over; second class factories, 101 tons to 300 tons; and third olase factory shall be from one ton to 100 tons. 2. Wages: The rate of wages set forth in this award shall be paid irrespective of the age of the worker. The minimum wage to be paid according to the above classification shall be as follows:—First class factory—firet assistant, £3 5e per week of six days; second assistant, £3 per week of six days; second class factory—first assistant, £3 2s 6d per week; second assistant, £2 17s 6d per week of eix days; third class factoryfirst assistant, £2 17s 6d per week of six days; all' other experienced assistants £2 15s per week of six days. To •workers employed for the first season in any factory, £2 7s ud per week of six days. The above shall apply to all cheese and butter factory assistants operate ing in Southland andi Otago. 3. Hours of Labour. —The hours of work in all cheese and butter factories shall not exceed 60 hours per week. Not more than six days to be worked in any one week. All workers shall be allowed ono day holiday for every week employed in the factory. 4. Overtime. —All time worked in excess of the hours herein prescribed shall be paid for at the rate of time and a-quarter. All nulk brought to the factories after 5.30 p.m. ehall bo paid overtime rates or time taken in handling same. 5. Labour Bureau.—The office of the Cheese Factory Assistants' Union shall bo the employment bureau, in which a register of all members of the union shall bo kept and employers shall engage meoi from the bureau. . 6. Definition.—For the purpose of this award an "assistant" shall mean all persons employed in or about a butter or cheese factory who are directly employed in the manufacture of butter or cheese other than a manager. 7. Preference. —If any employer shall engage any worker who shall not be a member of "the union, and who, within one week after his engagement, shall not become and remain a member of the union, the employer shall dismiss such worker from his service if requested to do 60 by tho union, provided is then a member of the union equally qualified to perform the particular work required to be done and ready and willing to undertake same. The provisions of the foregoing clause shall operate only if and so long as the rulee of the union ahall permit any worker of good character and sober habits to become a member of the union upon a payment of an entrance fee not exceeding 5s upon a written or ■verbal application -without ballot or other election, and to continue a member upon payment of subsequent contributions not exceeding 6d per week. 8. Termination of Engagement.—One week's notice of the termination of the services of any workman snail bo given by tho employer to the workman or by the workman to the employer unless otherwise mutually arranged, and all wages duo shall bo paid-immediately on production of certified time worked. 9. Matters Not Provided For.—Any dispute in connection with any matter not provided for in this award shall be settled by n committee of six, three appointed by tho South Island Dairy Association and three by the union, and in default of any agreement being arrived at, then such dispute shall be referred to the local inspector of awards, who may either decide the same or refer the matter to the court. Either party dissatisfied with the decision of the inspector of awards may appeal to the court upon giving notice of such r.ppcal to tho other party within seven clays after such decision shall have been communicated to tho party dceiring to appeal. 10. Terms of the Award —This award ehall come into force on the Ist day of September. 1914, and shall continue in force Until the 16th day of May, 1916.