DEMANDS ON DAIRY FACTORIES

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5362, 21 February 1916, Page 5

DEMANDS ON DAIRY FACTORIES

X by THE EMPLOYEES’ UNION.

CONFERENCE IN PAHIATUA.

A representative conference of directors o£ the dairy companies in the Pahiatua district was held at the Commercial Hotel on Saturday afternoon. The meeting was convened by Mr A. MeFarlane, chairman of the BaJ lance Dairy Company, Ltd., vhioh company received certain de~ mamia through the New Zealand 'Agricultural and Pastoral W orkers’ Union, from, the Dairy Employees Union. The Union states that it feels sure the Company will recognise the reasonableness of .the new rates and terms set out, and will readily agree to the proposals. In the case of the creamery managers the proposed rate might seem high, bnt the Union states that the wages paid ten years ago, when butter-fat was 9d, And whir**-has now risen to Is 4d, have no ?n altered. The Union proposed ‘an open conference of employers and union representatives at Masterton on Tuesday morning. It is asked that the agreement be for a period of two years. The demands include a bathroom to be provided in each factory and free accommodation for dairy workers to be approved by the Health Department *nd Union representative. The working hours to be ten a day, a day off in each week to employees; sD who work through the season to be pai l far not less than one holiday on full pay; should a worker be engaged and work only part of the season through the employer shortening hands, such worker to be entitled to not less than one month’s holiday on full pay: should a worker leave his employment after working two months lie shall be entitled to not less than two weeks' holiday on full pay. The wages olaimed are: Creamery manager £3 10s per week : butter factories : first Assistant £3 os. second £3. casuals £2 15s .engine driver £3: cheese factories : first assistant £3 ss, second £3. casuals £2 15s. engine driver £3 ss. The office of the union to be the employment bureau, at which a register of all members of the Union shall he kept. If any employer -hall engage any worker who shall not be a member of the Union and who within a fortnight after his engagement shall not become and remain a member of the Union, the employer shall dismiss such worker from his service if requested by the Union, provided that there is then a member of the Union equally qualified to perform the particular work to he done and ready and willing to undertake same. The provisions of the foregoing clause shall operate only if and so long a.s the rules of the Union shall permit anv worker to become a member of the Union without ballot or other election. Each employer, within arte month of the coming into operation of the agreement, is to furnish a complete-list of persons in his employment covered by the agreement. It wns reported that one or two cheese 'factories had since received a copv of the demands. Strong exception was taken to rhe preference to unionists clause and the chairntfn also objected to the demands bv the Dairy Employees’ Union being eloaked under the \gricultnrrt! and Pastoral Workers Union and he said the matter would probably be fought out in the Arbitration Uen rt. One delegate thought that the present arrangement which had h*-<m 7 n vogue for the east five vears should continue un+il the end of the war at rate. This was not the time to Wring the demands on. The chairman stated one company was at present paying aihove the award rate. The opinion was also expressed that the dairy factory employees in this part appeared to he satisfied with the existing arrangement. Moreover, they did not desire a Union run by outsiders. some of them having had unsatisfactory experience of this in Tamnakf. and the Union secretary who had visited some factories in this part had. according to reports, not received a verr good reception. It was contended that the email creameries would he penalised, that they might have to close down, and that would mean home separation. which was not viewed with favour. no snpphv being so clean as that going direct from the supplier to the creamery. The wee VJgr holiday demand »»» also objected to. the experience at present being that this arrangement does not work well Tt was considered better to give a holiday At the end of the season. The demand that a worker who only worked two months should receive two weeks’ holiday on full pay was considered outragpens. The chairman and Messrs T. T Marriott. (Turn run cheese factory'). and J. R. Rose fMangatainoka cheese # aetory) were appointed delegates to the conference at 'Masterton. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the chairman for convening the meeting and presiding over it.