WOOL STORES DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23045, 23 November 1936, Page 7

WOOL STORES DISPUTE

CONCILIATION PROCEEDINGS WORKERS' SECRETARY CRITICISED COMPLETE AGREEMENT REACHED (Per United Psess Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 21. Word that the men in the Auckland wool stores had refused to work this morning caused a serious hold-up in the Conciliation Council proceedings in the dispute between the Storemen's and Packers' Federation and the Proprietors of the Dominion Wool and Hide Stores. Mr D. I. Macdonald (employers' aeent) declared that as the result of the latest development the employers could not go on. He criticised Mr W. Miller, the federation secretary, for failing to communicate with the Auckland men, contending that if he had done so the trouble would not have arisen. Mr Miller declared that ho had no authority to tell the men to work. The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) said that in view of what had happened, Mr Miller should have communicated with the men in Auckland. If Mr Miller had done so. he felt the men would not have stopped work while the council was sitting. At this stage Mr Miller agreed to put through an urgent telephone message to Auckland, and the council agreed to wait to hear developments. -Mr Miller refused to make any comment on the dispute when seen after the council had adjourned for luncheon. He said the assessors on both sides of the table were still hopeful of reaching a settlement. Mr John Tucker, secretary of the Wellington Storemen and Packers' Union, who has been advised by the Minister of Labour that his department intends to take action against him and his union for an alleged breach of section 109 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925, also refused to comment. He said he felt that any comment on the proposed proceedings at the present juncture would be out of order and prejudicial to the case. Asked why the trouble should break out in Auckland and not in any other centre Mr Tucker said it was possibly because many of the men casually employed in the Auckland stores were "rolling stones" and more volatile. Their action, he felt sure, was contrary to the wishes of the majority of the union grdup. In other centres the employees were more settled and less likely to take matters into their own hands. When the proceedings were resumed before the Conciliation Council in the afternoon a complete agreement was reached. The agreement provides for a 44-hour week, wages 2s 2d an hour for casual labour, £4 14s weekly for permanent hands and 2d an hour extra for rabbitskin and wool classers. For youths under 17 years the wages were fixed at £1 15s, 17 to 18 £1 10s, 18 to 19 £2, 19 to 20 £2 10s, 20 to 21 £3. The award will operate till August 31, 1937. AUCKLAND STORES TEMPORARY STOPPAGE OF WORK SERIOUS EFFECT ON WOOL SALE (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Nov. 22. Although the question of work in the wool stores was being considered by a Conciliation Council meeting in Christchurch all the workers in the Auckland wool and grain stores did not report for work on Saturday morning* It was the second time that they had been absent from duty on a Saturday, similar ; action having been taken last week as a move to bring about a five-day week of 40 hours.. A settlement of the dispute was reached in the Conciliation Council late on Saturday afternoon, however, and the majority of the men reported for over-time work in the stores to-day, starting at 8 a.m. and finishing at 5 p.m. The refusal of the men to work on Saturday at a time when the wool stores are particularly busy will have serious effects in view of the wopl/sale next Saturday, when between 18,000 and 19,000 bales will be offered. Fresh clips have come to hand and others are due, and as a result of the men working short time a lot of the wool will have to be offered at the sale without reclassing. .