DAIRY ASSISTANTS

Southland Times, Issue 21001, 6 February 1930, Page 7

DAIRY ASSISTANTS

MEETING OF UNION. HALF-YEARLY REPORT PRESENTED. The half-yearly meeting of the Dairy Assistants’ Union was held in the Labour Hall on February 1, 1930. The president (Mr Stevens) occupied the chair, and there was a large attendance of members. The executive reported as follows:— ‘The income, including surplus from the annual meeting, has amounted to £245 15/4. The expenditure is £l5B 16/8, leaving a credit balance of £B6 18/8. There are still a considerable amount of contributions to come to hand. “The usual organizing work has been performed and the greatest majority of the factories have been visited. Explanations and interpretations have been given to members, to their satisfaction. "As most of you are aware, the South Island Dairy Association, through the Fanployers’ Federation, cited the union for a new award, practically on the same lines as the present award, with a few minor alterations to the interest of the employers. For instance, the classification of cheese factories. The employers have added a new clause, stating that the classification of factories in any season have been based on the number of standard vats in use during the previous season, providing that if the number of standard vats (which they have based at 900 gallons) so determined is exceeded for a period of not more than one month, the classification shall be raised only for the period during which the standard number of vats is exceeded and not throughout the whole season, which is contrary to the decision of the Court of Arbitration. ‘Your executive filed a counter-claim on the basis of the Dominion Award, which provided for a six-day week of forty-eight hours and an increase of wages of 6/6 per week all round, with overtime for Sundays and all statutory holidays. ‘The case came before the Conciliation Council in Invercargill on October 10, 1929, and your assessors asked that the case be postponed until after the Dominion Council Conciliation had heard the case for the Dominion Award in Wellington. This was agreed to. The case was duly heard in Wellington on October 29, 1929. The president, Mr Stevens, and Mr Hunter acted as assessors on behalf of the Southland and Otago Union. ‘The case came before the Dominion Council, but no decision was arrived at on account of the employers’ wanting a local award. The whole matter was referred to the Court of Arbitration for consideration, which was heard in Christchurch on November 25, 1929, and after arguments on both sides were heard, the Judge announced that the Court was of the opinion that there was not a strong enough case made out for a departure from the present system. Mr Monteith desired his Honour to say that he had agreed to fall in with the majority of the Court, for the special reason that there was a new award in the Wellington district recently made, and he would like to see how it would settle down. The decision of the Court was that local award should be made. "So the position now is, that each industrial district will have to fight for its own award. The Taranaki dispute was heard before the Conciliation Council on December 7, 1929, but no agreement was arrived at, and the whole case was referred to the Court of Arbitration for settlement. “We have not received any information from the federation secretary as to the date when their case will be heard before the Court of Arbitration. So far as Southland is concerned, we have not had any word from the employers as to the date when the Conciliation Council will again hear the dispute in Invercargill. As the employers were the aggressors or applicants for a new award, it should be their place to make the next move, and it is for this meeting to advise your executive the next step to be taken if a new award is desired, and evidently there are a number of irregularities in the present award which require a considerable amount of ratification, and the whole matter is now in your hands for consideration and advice.” The president moved the adoption of the report and, in doing so, congratulated the members on the sound position of the organization, and impressed upon members the necessity of taking a keen interest in the affairs of the union. The motion was seconded by Mr J. Philips and carried unanimously. A complaint was received that baths were not provided at a number of factories.— The secretary was instructed to place the matter in the hands of the Inspector of Awards. Complaints were also received that no overtime was paid for the month of September, and no time or wages book was kept at several factories.—lt was decided to refer the matter to the Inspector of Factories for investigation. A communication was received from R. Fulton, secretary, New Zealand Dairy Assistants’ Federation, acknowledging payment of £2O capitation fee. —Received. A communication was received from the Inspector of Factories, Dunedin, stating that fib had made full inquiries into several breaches of the award in connection with a factory in Otago. He stated that the employers had been warned for breaches of the award, and in view of the fact that the arrears of overtime had been paid and various breaches of the award had been rectified, the inspector considered that it was sufficient on this occasion. Communications were received from Messrs Fulton and Gough stating that their disputes came before the Council of Conciliation in December, but no settlement had been arrived at, and the disputes were referred to the Arbitration Court for settlement. —Received. Complaints were received at the meeting that a number of factories were not paying the wages fortnightly and no awards were posted in many of the factories and overalls were not supplied to men working in wet places in accordance with the award, free of cost.—Received, and the matters were referred to the Inspector of Awards for investigations. A communication was received from Mr McGregor, secretary, D.L.C., masking that delegates be appointed on that body/—Received, and Messrs F. Stevens and J. Philips were appointed delegates. A large amount of correspondence of a routine nature that had been dealt with by the secretary was received. A long discussion arose in connection with the proposed new award, and the secretary was instructed to ascertain the legal position, and if it was found that the employers were not moving to fetch the dispute to a head, the secretary was instructed to take the necessary steps to obtain a new award in accordance with the law. Copies of the employers’ demands, also the Dairy Federation’s counter-demands, were received and laid on the table. All accounts were referred to the executive to be passed for payment.