ABATTOIRS TROUBLE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1839, 6 January 1920, Page 7

ABATTOIRS TROUBLE.

SETTLEMENT REACHED. The dispute between the slaughtermen employed at the City Abattoirs and the City Council was settled at a conference between the parties yesterday afternoon. Those who took part in the conference were:—Messrs C. 8. Harper (chairman of the Abattoirs Committee of the council), A. McKellar (a member of the committee), F. C. Ellis (secretary of the Meat Freezers' and Belated Trades Union), R. Muir and H. McGregor (representatives of the slaughtermen). Mr McKellar presided. , After a two-hours' discussion a settlement was arrived at, on the basis of a wage of £4 10/- per week for slaughtermen.

Under the old agreement the wages for slaughtermen had been £3 15/- per week, but at a private conference held in March last a temporary new agreement was arrived at, making the weekly wage £4 per week. , At that conference it was also decided to abolißh the long day on Thursday, viz., 7 a.m. till 7 p.m., and to make the working hours on that day 7 a.m. till 5 p.m. The rate per hour for "loading out" was also increased from 2/6 to 3/- per hour, with a minimum payment ef 5/-, meaning that if a man is called out before 7 a.iri., to assist in loading, he must receive a minimum amount of 5/- for the work.

The new agreement will come into operation at once and continue in force for two years.