DAIRY ASSISTANTS’ UNION

Southland Times, Issue 23199, 14 May 1937, Page 19

DAIRY ASSISTANTS’ UNION

MEETING OF EXECUTIVE At a meeting of the executive of the Dairy Assistants’ Union, the president (Mr T. H. Ellis), presided over a full attendance of members. A letter was received from Mr J. Roberts, national secretary of the Dairy Workers’ Union, enclosing a copy of the dairy workers’ demands which had been filed before the Council of Conciliation. It was stated that the case would be heard in Wellington' on May 13, 1937. The demands made provisions for wages and conditions for all classes of dairy workers throughout New Zealand, and would be made into an award for the coming season. The president and the secretary were appointed to appear on behalf of the union at the Council of Conciliation meeting. The president, who had received a copy of the demands, gave an explanation of the wages and conditions sought. Mr Stephens, the delegate to . the Labour Representation Committee, stated that the committee required funds and he asked the members for a donation. It was decided to vote the sum of £1 1/-.

It was decided to hold the annual meeting of the union on June 18, 1937, with a social hour to follow and a presentation of medals to be made to the president. It was also decided that the secretary should hold a general meeting at Dunedin on June 11 in the Trades Hall, to give the Otago members an opportunity to attend. It was decided to write to the national secretary asking him to cite the condensed milk and butter factory at Underwood as a party to the dispute. The secretary gave a report on the national industrial conference which he had attended at Wellington on April 14, and stated that delegates representing over 100,000 workers were present. After five days’ consideration it had been unanimously decided Io form one industrial body, called the New Zealand Federation of Labour. <