THRESHING MILL WAGES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18514, 27 March 1922, Page 7

THRESHING MILL WAGES.

ALLEGATIONS BY MR BOREHAM. THE AWARD DISREGARDED. Mr Steve Boreham, secretary of the Throshing Mill Workers’ Union, returned to Dunedin on Friday last from Southland, where ho had been paying a visit in connection with a dispute that has arisen over the wages paid for that work. Speaking to one of our staff, Mr Boreham said he did not hesitate to say that farmers south of Gore are taking a mean advantage of the workers, paying them from 4d to 7d per hour less than the wages prescribed by the award. “ It will be remembered,” he continued, “that, when the farmers’ representatives met representatives of the Threshing Mill Workers’ Union at Gore in 1920 an agreement was entered into, and subsequently made an award of the court. On that occasion it was agreed that there was no necessity to cite some 12,000 farmers in the industrial district of Otago and Southland. that one hundred or two would be quite sufficient for all purposes. The farmers’ representatives assured us that all the farmers would loyally abide by any wages the court might fix, and also adhere to the forms and conditions already agreed upon. Wo accepted this assurance, and in 1920 and 1921 the farmers faithfully fulfilled their part of the conditions, and paid the wage stipulated in the court’s award. In 1921 ties farmers’ representatives, when the dispute was again before the Conciliation Council, promised that any award made by the court would bo accepted and adhered to by the farmers. The union’s agent took for granted that the fanners would_ keep their promise, and accordingly the dispute went on to the court on this understanding. The assessors for the union agreeing. Seeing that, the farmers had kept, their promise m 1920, paying Is 9d per hour, and again in 1921, paying Is Hid per hour, we had no doubt whatever that the court's award, whatever wage it might fix. would be paid, os it had been in the past, two seasons. IV o are disappointed, however, at. least by a good numbers of 'farmers in Southland. Notwithstanding the fact that the court reduced our flat, wage by 2d per hour, and increased the bonus hy only 2d per hour, thus reducing the total payable per hour this season by l*d to Is lOd per hour, the farmers, or at any rate a good number of them, are taking advantage of the trust we placed in their promise, and paying the wages T have stated. No,” said Mr Boreliaiu, “we will never again take a farmer's word in matters of this nature. It is our intention,’’ he continued, “to proceed at once to cite every farmer in Otago and Southland as a party to the current award, and to all future awards the court- may grant us. This will have to be done at the earliest possible date, in order that we may teach the Southland farmers that the Otago and Southland Threshing Mill Employees’ Industrial Union of Workers has sufficient confidence in the Arbitration Court to warrant it reiving on the efficiency of the law to secure for its members, if not all we ask for, at least all the court grants us. after hearing us in our behalf, and the Southland farmers on their bohalt “I would like.” said Mr Boreham. “before T leave you to request you, through the column' of the Times, to remind the farmers that we could during the war period have demanded any wage from them we thought proper. Wo did not. Two shillings per hour was the highest wage paid during that troublous time. Now that the farmers think we are in want they are taking advantage of our position. Apart altogether from the law, or any award of the court, I personally think that this move on the part of the Southland farmers to cut the men’s wages below that fixed by the court is a clear-cut demonstration of base ingratitude, and most certainly will rebound on them with interest, and this. too. without going outside the four corners of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1908, and its amendments.”