CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19939, 5 November 1926, Page 5

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

SHEPHERDS, MUSTERERS, AND DROVERS. A sitting of the Conciliation Council was held yesterday to consider the dispute between the Otago and Southland shepherds, musterers, and drovers, and the Otago and Southland sheepowners. Mr W. H. Hagger presided as Conciliation Commissioner, and Messrs A. P. O’Kane (Gore), C. E. Baldwin (Christchurch), and W. Herbert appeared as assessors for the workers, and Messrs J. \V. Miller (Queenstown), J. Mackenzie (Mount Nicholas, Queenstown), Dickson Jardine (Kawarau Falls, Queenstown), and Mr A. 8. Cookson (agent), represented the employers. The statement of claims showed the following demandsMusterers, £5 per week, or £1 5s per day> and £1 5s for Sunday work; packers, £4 2s 6d per week, or £1 per day, and £1 for Sunday work; musterers or packers engaged in snowrnkjng, £2 per day while engaged in that work. Youths learning mustering, in addition to board and lodging for first year £2 per week, second year £2 10s per week. Drovers, £1 10s per_ day and all necessary expenses. The provisions of the award to apply to any worker who is employed rerrularly as a farm or station hand and who assists in mustering or does packing for musterers. . . . The 'employers submitted the existing award as the counter claims. Mr Baldwin said the claims did not differ greatly from the existing award,, except as regarded rates of wages, and the clause dealing with permanent hands on the station. Mr Cookson said the employers regarded these clauses as very important. Payment for Sunday ■work was also regarded as important. Mr Baldwin said that on some stations packers were paid for Sunday work, but some station owners had refused to pay for this class of work. He was anxious that an agreement should be come to by the Conciliation Council. Those sitting round the table were practical men and thoroughly understood the position. It wou’d be far better for them to settle the ques tion without going to the Arbitration Court. Mr Cookson said the three assessors lor the employers were all practical men. The employers were prepared to come to an agreement for an extension of the present award. At one time musterers were en gaged for two or three weeks at a time, whereas when high wages were demanded the period of work was reduced, and it did not work out to the advantage of the employee. Mr Baldwin said he know men living m Dunedin who had to keep up a team of dogs and a horse, the value of which altogether was at least £79 or £BO. Mr Cookson said the employers were not prepared to consider any increases in wages. Mr Jardine said there were days and days on which the men were idle as the result of fog and other climatic conditions, and they had to be paid for these off day*. Mr Baldwin said the men had got to live. . .. . Mr Miller said his experience was that when wages went up. all sorts of incompetent men and inexperienced youths went looking for jobs. This was of no advantage to either party. Mr Jardine considered that mustering was a good, clean life, A man could wear old clothes and was given the best of food. It was not an industry which demanded a- high rate of pay. With regard to, snow-raking, Mr Jardine wanted to know the definition of the term. He know of a case where four or five men were stuck in their tents for four or five days owing to a snowstorm, and they had to be paid during all tha. time, although they did no work. He know men who had mustered in six or oi ht inches of snow, but ho did not look upon that as snow-raking. Mr Miller said that when men were knocked off as the result of bad weather they not onlv had to be paid, but two sheep per day had to be found for each man to feed his dogs. lie contended that the union was up against their own hands in asking for such exorbitant wages. Mr Baldwin appealed to the employers to come to an agreement. Mr Jardine said the employers assessors did not have a free hand. They were only representatives. Mr Cookson said the industry could not stand any increase in the rate of wages. It was an inopportune time to ask for an award as men were now being engaged. Mr Baldwin agreed that the award should expire in June. . , After further discussion it was clear that no decision with regard to wages could be arrived it. The employers stood fast on £4 2s 6d per week for musterers and £1 10s to £2 per week for youths. _ The clauses with regard to conditions were agreed to, but the clause relating to packers and permanent hands were referred to the court. It was agreed that the award should expire in June, 1928. The council then r.diourned.