DOMINION AWARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26717, 11 March 1948, Page 8

DOMINION AWARD

RETAIL MEAT TRADE WORKERS FEDERATION TO ACT A remit instructing the council of the New Zealand Master Butchers’ Federation to take the necessary steps to obtain a Dominion award covering the workers in the retail meat trade was carried by the annual conference yesterday. The remit was opposed by delegates from South Island master butchers’ associations, who considered that they would be involved in a considerable amount of additional expense by way of wages if the proposed award were to be based on that now ruling in the Auckland Province, which provided for the highest wages in the country. The remit was proposed by the Wanganui, Auckland and South Auckland Associations, and was supported by speakers from other associations in the North Island. The secretary, Mr A. T. B. Green, said that if the trade were successful in obtaining a buying schedule, a wholesale price order, and a fixed price order, a Dominion award would be necessary. The wages and costs in the award would be taken into consideration when the price orders were being fixed. Co-operative Insurance An extract from the treasurer’s report, which was submitted to the conference, stated that the commission received from insurance premiums, totalling £671 16s 9d, had been separated from the accumulated fund, and could be invested as a capital fund for the promotion of a co-operative scheme to operate fire and accident insurance in order to create assets: The secretary, Mr A. T. B. Green, said that a proposal for a mutual cooperative scheme was adopted in 1947. and preliminary work on the details of such a scheme had been done by the Directorate Committee of f the federation, bub the action of the Government in proposing an Act which would give monopoly control of workers’ compensation insurance to the State Office had caused its completion to be held over until the intention of the Government was clarified. A decision on this point was still, awaited, as restraining action had been employed by the insurance companies and the Insurance Employees’ Union. ’ Mr Green added that as far as a mutual co-operative scheme was concerned, it would be to the advantage of the federation if the proposed Bill were carried, provided that the federation could obtain exemption from the monopoly clause. , Recruits from Immigrants" The council of the federation was instructed to give consideration to the advisability of requesting the Government to include young men of three to five years’ experience in the retail meat trade among the assisted immigrants to New Zealand from the United Kingdom. Speakers said that it would be necessary to ensure that such recruits should be required to remain in the retail meat trade for a stipulated period, and should not be able to leave to go to the freezing works, where the wages were higher