DAIRY WORKERS' UNION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23351, 17 November 1937, Page 7

DAIRY WORKERS' UNION

NEW AWARD SOUGHT ARBITRATION COURT HEARING (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Nov. 16. Representatives of the employers and employees of the cheese, butter, casein, condensed milk and dried milk industries in all parts of New Zealand were present at the hearing of the Dominion dispute brought before the Arbitration Court by the New Zealand Dairy Workers' Union. Mr Justice O'Regan presided, and with him were Mr W. Cecil Prime and Mr A. L. Monteith, lay members. Mr W. E. Anderson appeared for the employers and Mr J. Roberts, of Wellington, represented the workers. Both advocates said that they anticipated that the case would last three full days. In his outline of the workers' case, Mr Roberts said that when an award was made it would cover every worker engaged in dairy factories throughout the Dominion. Managers could not be included. The parties had met on two occasions but no agreement had been reached upon the majority of matters in dispute. The union claimed the following terms and conditions: A 40-hour week; wages for men on the basis of the recent standard wage pronouncements; for first and second assistants, wages according to those paid highly skilled workers; for third and fourth assistants, wages for semi-skilled occupations in the higher grade. As general hands required at least one year's training before they could be regarded as semi-skilled workers, wages on the lowest grade were asked. Casein and milk-drying factory workers who worked in hot, .trying circumstances should receive special classifications. Work on Sundays and all statutory holidays should be paid for at double rates, and annual holidays of three weeks at full pay were requested. The day should begin not earlier than 7 a.m. If work should begin before then, double time should be paid. Mr Roberts said that in the interests of the industry an appeal board should be established to apply not only to dairy factory assistants but also to managers. The main reason was to protect the man who was honest and anxious to do hu= job efficiently. The hearing will be continued tomorrow.