CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Southland Times, Issue 17756, 6 September 1917, Page 5

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

DAIRY FACTORY ASSISTANTS’ DEMANDS. SETTLEMENT ARRIVED AT, The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr J. R. Triggs) yesterday presided over a meeting of representatives of the Southland and Otago Dairy Factory Employees’ (other than managers) Union, and their employers. Messrs T. O’Byrne (secretary), Thos. Knox (Gorge Road), and Jaa. H. Henderson (Mataura), appeared as assessors for the Union , and Messrs T. W. Foster (Oware), D. Wards (Island), and John Fisher (Otautau), for the employers. The Union put forward its demands as already published. Mr Foster, on behalf of the employers, said that they were of the opinion that this was an inopportune time to fix up any fresh awards, as the conditions were abnormal, and there must be considerable uncertainty in tieing an. industry up to conditions that might be altogether altered if the war terminated in a short time. However, it was necessary that some satisfactory arrangement should be come to, and the employers were prepared to meet the employees as well as they could in the circumstances. The position was somewhat different from that of the managers, whose demands had been considered twelve months ago. The assistants’ award had been fixed up under war conditions twelve months after the declaration of hostilities, and the matter of the war conditions had been taken into consideration. The managers' award had been arrived at in pre-war times. He didn’t think that, up to the present time, there had been a great deal of alteration in the conditions since the assistants’ late award had been framed. What they wished was that a settlement shaped upon the old award should be arrived at. They had already offered the assistants a war bonus of per cent.—that was taking into consideration the fact that the old award had been fixed up under war conditions. All the employers wished to be reasonable, and they didn’t wish to tie the men down to the former rates when conditions might have altered. Therefore they made the offer of a 7J per cent, war bonus, which they held to be reasonable. They did not consider that they should be forced into agreeing to new awards while times were so abnormal.

The Commissioner said that that was what was being done in most industries. The employers were paying a bonus—not necessarily of 71 per cent., of course—for the duration of the war and six months thereafter. Mr Fisher said that the question might be asked why they had not made their bonus offer higher, but they looked at it that the old award had been made after the outbreak of war and framed after allowance had been made for war conditions. For the employees, Mr O’Byrne said that it was quite true that the late award had been framed in war time. That very fact had been one of the arguments then used for the purpose of making the men accept less than they would otherwise have been satisfied with. Then it had been uncertain how the producers were going to get on with their cheese. Now, though, things had advanced very much so far as the farmer was concerned. He had fought very hard for an increase in the price of the commodities which he produced, and the factory employees were not complaining about that. All that they asked was that the men who helped in the production of the commodity should have a share in the profit. As a matter of fact, unless the rates were increased it would be a very hard job for the factories to get men to work in the industry. The fanners were 50 per cent, better off to-day than they had been three years ago, and they ought to realise that the men who worked long hours in the factories should have some consideration in regard, to the recognition of their claims. Dairy factory assistants were the poorest paid class of men in the dominion now-a-days. The employers had to consider that these men worked 50 per cent. longer than any other class of men, yet the most they asked for was Is 4d an hour, which rate would affect only about one factory. In the others the rates would range from Is to Is 3d an hour. The farmers should recognise that they had had “a jolly good run, * and should tAat fairly those who helped them in the industry. The demands were not heavy, in fact if the men went anywhere else they would get far better wages, Mr Wards : Is there anything to prevent them ? It will be the fanners' funeral, you know, if they cannot get men. Mr O’Byrne stated that there was nothing to prevent the men going to other work, as many of them would if their claims were not met. Some of the factories had granted their men a 10 per cent, war bonus, but only a few, and all should bn prepared to agree to the men’s demands. One factory had advertised for a buttermaker at £5 10s, and the assistants asked for only £4. The Commissioner : But we deal with the minimum rate, not the maximum. Mr O’Byme said that that was what they were complaining about. They held that the farmers made the minimum rate the

mttT-imnm one. In every other industry bonuses bad been granted and the employees had not had to go for new awards. The dairy employees worked right through the heat of the season and then, when the slack part came, they were cast off and had to seek other work. Their dairying work was therefore more of an intermittent and casual nature. In framing their demands the men had tried to be as reasonable as they could and they hoped that the employers would be prepared to meet them. .. The Commissioner asked the assistants if they were prepared to consider a war bonus on the present award. Not necessarily a 7-i per cent, bonus, bbt peAaps a larger one. Most of the Unions throughout the country were asking for a flat rate, but they would not get it. The trouble was that once a flat rate went on to the book of awards it was very rarely removed, and if things came back for the dairy farmer--although the speaker hoped that they would not —he might be hard put to it to pay the award rates, if they were fixed flatly now. On the other hand it was certain that th* cost of living would come down after th« war and conditions would not be so hard for the workers. Over all the war bonus was the fairest thing. “After all, in going through life, whatever we do, we can’t beat fair play,” said Mr Triggs. They could not tell what was going to happen three or four years hence. Therefore would it not be » fair thing for them to take the old award and accept a war bonus upon it? Personally he did not consider that 7i per cent, was a fair thing. The bonus should be more, but first of all be wished to know ■would they accept a bonus on the old raie * l ' The employers’ representatives announced that they had instructions not to go beyond the offer of a bonus. They could not agree to more, and if the men did not accept the bonus the matter would have to go to the Arbitration Court. After the representatives of both side* had conferred at length with the Commissioner the parties were called together and the employers offered a war bonus of 10 per cent, on the old rates. Upon further consultation the assistants decided to accept this and, when approached, the employers agreed to the addition to the award clause re schedule holidays of the sentence “Where payment is made in lieu of holidays” (four days at schedule rates on every four weeks worked) “such payments shall be made on a six day basis.” The term of the renewed award was fixed at from September 1, 1917, to June 30, 1919. Either party will have the right to ask the court to review the bonus. On the motion of Messrs Foster and O'Byrne a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the Commissioner for his presidency.