KILLING OF PIGS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 806, 29 October 1929, Page 10

KILLING OF PIGS

NOT SKILLED WORK SLAUGHTERMEN DISSATISFIED The classification of pier-killing: as “unskilled labour/’ for which payment was to be made on an hourly basis, under the new award issued by the Arbitration Court, covering abattoir assistants, has created some dissatisfaction among slaughtermen employed at the municipal abattoirs and K. and AY. Hellaby’s, Ltd. The new award comes into force today. Previously, the killing of pigs was paid on a piecework basis. Following the issuing of the new award several slaughtermen at the city abattoirs at Wesmeld were dismissed on Friday and unskilled labour was called this morning. It is stated that labour was freely offering. From this morning unskilled labour will be employed for the slaughtering of pigs. The manager of the municipal abattoirs does not expect any trouble to arise from the new award. He says that ever since the mechanical processes have been adopted at the abattoir, he has been endeavouring to have the rates of pay amended, as under the piecework system men are earning as much as 10s 2d an hour. Now pigkilling and dressing is placed on an hourly wage footing, the minimum is 2s 2d and 2s 3d an hour, according to the work actually done. Mutton and pig slaughtermen earned an average of £313 a year under the old award, the manager says. He claims that pig-slaughtering can be learned in half an hour, and therefore is different from beef and muttonsi auglite.ring. Mr. Pi. Barry, president of the Meat and Related Trades’ Unions, said that at a conference between the employers and the union it was practically announced that the rates were to remain the same as in the old award.

The position will bo discussed at a meeting of the union this evening.