WAGES OF SHEARERS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17589, 3 October 1931, Page 6

WAGES OF SHEARERS

INTERIM RATE OF 19/WAITING TOR THE AWARD OFFER BY SJIEEPOWNERS ’ UNION Until the new shearers' award is made, the rates of payment will lie subject to mutual agreement between the sheejpowners and the shearers. The I'everty Bay and East C'oast Sheepowners' Union to-day recommended cliat uptil the new award jvas announced the rates should ;b,e on a basis of 19s per 100, the amount .offered by the employers at the Rearing of the dispute' in' the Arbitration Court. In the meantime, the of woifc will remain imuiterpijl fr,oih tffb.se set put in tffe 192(3 award. Mr. f. B. Kells, who gave evidence before tb,e Arbitration .Court, reported: that in his evidence ffe explained that the average shearing" performance in* GO sheds covering 400,000 sheep last season was 149 sheep per day. Ovjer: a jieriod of four years from 192 G, the average limp lost -jyas IS per cent., •' whilifflast year the time lost was only * .14. per cent. During the last four, years, the average shearing was 142' per day, while during the previous, four years, 1.921-24, .the tables aver-, aged .only 12$ per day. He believed, the ippipase was duo to the use of the broad'comb. On* season's rateseach npiu would earn ,ou an of " £ll ,4s. He expressed the viejv that; 15s a day ypiild Joe p fair tffipg and" tlip shearers w.ould inak.e £6 a weph. , Votes pf thanks were passed to Mr. Kells for giving .evidence before the: court, apd also ,to the secretary, Mr. A. S.t,o,ck, for the manner in wllieli he had prepared statistics to lie included in the evidence. Mr. J. O. Graham, in speaking of the secretary's work, said the ‘figures had been prepared, with exceptional care and ability, apd the president, Mr. C. 11. Williams, said lie was struck with the accuracy of Mr. Stock's work. The meeting carried the hollowing resolutions:— “That the shearers be paid the award rate wffen such award is made, and, failing an ayard, that a price pp. paid in accordance with the employers' proposals before the court." “That, while it is open t,o sheep-: owners ’to make sueff arrangements as; they desire until spell time as an award is made, the federation recommends payment in accordance with the employers’ proposals made before the court on a dominion basis." Ip the Arbitration .Court, the employers claimed that the shearing rates should be 19s per 100 for sheep, with rations, and 19s per 100, less 20 per cent., with rations for lambs. In 'cases where shearers find {hemse_lve l s in rations, the rates should be iriereasfi'd "f)s per 100. "The shearing rate for hogget rams should be rate and a half, and for other Tapis double rates. The rate stud,sffeep should bo subject to agfccipopt betyeep owner and shearer. Tressprs should be paid £2 ■fS'fa week, ,pr Is fd pn hpup; aff other shed hands jEff fffis a wepk, or Is {Jd an lipur- youths gvpr jfi years of age and under ißf|ul ids per week, or Is ,o£d. an h.opr; .c.ooks for 12 ipen .or under, £fi 5s a jvoek, or for ovcp 12 men by arrangement; cooks' a wpek. If a worker supplies his .own rations, ho should bo paid at the rate of £1 per week extra."