DAIRY WORKERS IN SOUTHLAND

Southland Times, Issue 23736, 7 February 1939, Page 3

DAIRY WORKERS IN SOUTHLAND

UNION’S HALF-YEARLY MEETING • ,

The twenty-fifth half-yearly meeting of the Southland and Otago Branch of New Zealand Dairy Workers’ Union was held on January 20. The president, Mr J. Allison, presided over a . big attendance of members. The secretary reported that he had visited all factories as far north as Waitaki. He had also held a special meeting at Oamaru, A communication was received from an assistant, stating that as the first assistant had full responsibility for making all the cheese he was put off at the end of the season for about five months, while the second and third assistants were kept on, and he asked that a clause be inserted in the new demands to give the first assistant a share of the work in the off season in factories where both cheese and butter are manufactured, and thus make his position more permanent. Communication was received, and it was left in the secretary’s hands to see that a clause was inserted in the new award to cover the points raised. . , ' A communication was received from the Inspector of Factories in reply to complaints from the union about irregularities at a cheese factory, stating that an investigation had been made, and the following was the i present position: (1) The wages of the first and second assistants have been adjusted in accordance with a seven-vat factory rates. (2) The third assistant was not in receipt of £4 19/6 but the company has since adjusted this, and he has received back pay for the nine weeks the factory was in seven vats. A communication was received from the national secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party appealing for funds to establish a Labour daily newspaper. The matter was held over for future consideration.

In reply to the secretary, a communication was received from the Inspector of Awards stating that he had made inquiries into complaints made by members at a dairy factory where it was found upon investigation that some arrears of overtime were due to several employees, and the matter had been adjusted by the amount due, £1 12/8, being paid direct to the men concerned.

Mr F. Stephens mentioned the case of a member who had been laid up on account of ill health for some considerable time. As he was a married man with nine of a family, Mr Stephens asked if the union would waive his subscription for this year. In view of the circumstances it was decided to grant this request. NEW AWARD The matter of proposals for the new agreement was considered, and the decision arrived at was as follows: That where a whey butter-maker was employed in a cheese factory, he shall be paid the same wages as a first assistant, irrespective of the time employed. With regard to the question as to the number of vats in use it was decided to add to the clause the words “during any period of the season,” and

also to reduce the maximum number of vats from “10 or over” to “six or over.” It was also decided to ask for a 40-hour week, the highest number of hours to be worked to be not more than 48. It was also decided to ask for double time,for all statutory holidays and' to ask for holiday pay, the same as other assistants, for all dairy assistants who work seven days a week; also to specify the hours to be worked for a seven day week assistant. Youths not to be employed on vats unless they are paid the full assistant’s wages according to the award. Employees who have to pull presses after their ordinary . day’s work is finished shall be paid at the rate of time and a-half (in addition to their ordinary wages) for the time so occupied. The president was appointed as assessor for Southland and Otago when the case comes before the Council of Conciliation.