MILK STRIKE OVER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27568, 9 December 1950, Page 8

MILK STRIKE OVER

Agreement Reached At Conference INCREASE IN WAGES PA AUCKLAND, Dec. 8. The milk strike is over. Agreement between representatives of the Dairy Workers’ Union and the employers was reached tonight after a four hour and a-half compulsory conference called by the Government. However, no milk will be delivered tomorrow by union roundsmen. Normal de- • liveries should be made on Sunday morning. There will be a meeting of milk pasteurisation and bottling employees at the Trades Hall at 9 a.m. tomorrow. The agreement is on a Dominionwide basis. Although the employers did not attend the meeting as representatives for, the Dominion, they told Mr C. L. Hunter, the Conciliation Commissioner, they “ would take it upon themselves” to agree for other employers. This means that the disputes in Christchurch, Dunedin and Timaru will probably end tomorrow also. The compulsory conference was held under the chairmanship of Mr Hunter. Mr H. L. Bockett, the Director of Employment, who came from Wellington today, was associated with him at the meeting. The rates agreed to for the milk workers are as follows: 10s l a week extra for factory hands; 3s 4d above the general drivers’ award for drivers employed at the treatment plants; 8s 4d above the general award for foremen drivers. Time and a-half will be paid for all Saturday morning work. The wages are retrospective to October 31, the date of the first Conciliation meeting in Wellington. It was agreed that the workers should have the right to go before the court at any time on any matter except the factory hands’ wages after February 28. Several other award conditions will also come into operation immediately. All were agreed to in Wellington. Any general wage order made by the Arbitration Court will be additional to the present agreement. The union, however, still has several claims which will be the subject of future talks with the employers. The new weekly rates for the factory workers for a 40-hour, five-day week are listed below; the old rates being given in parentheses. The 7s interim wage order is included: New rate, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, £7 14s 5d (£7 4s 6d); if Saturday worked, £8 9s 3d (£7 11s sd); if Sunday worked, £9 4s (£8 12s); if Saturday and Sunday worked, £9 18 s 9d (£8 18s lid).