SHEARERS' WAGES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14216, 4 June 1910, Page 3

SHEARERS' WAGES.

CONCILIATION COUNCIL FAILS.

The industiral dis|iute between tlie Canterbury Shearers' Union and the Canterbury Sheepowners' Union of Employers was heard by the Council of Conciliation at Cliristchuurch on "Wednesday, the Commissioner, Mr J. R. Triggs, presiding. The assessors for the employers were Messrs D. D. Maofarlane, E. B. Millton and C. P. Hugonin, and for the workers Messrs F. Waddell, A. J. King and C. Johnston. Messsrs W. Pryor and "\V. E. Grifien appeared for the employers, and Mr M. Laracy, secretary to the .Workers' Union, for the workers. The case had been brought by the employers, who had formulated a number of demands.

In reply to Mr Millton, the Commissioner said that the present dispute had no tiling to do with shed hands or cooks, and, although he would like the parties to discuss their conditions, it would be quite informal, as those workers wouid have to be the subject of a different dispute. Tlw parties proceeded to discuss the clauses in the demands, and, speaking in regard to tlie demand for a reduction of wages from ISs to 17s 6d, Mr Laracy said that it would be useless to discuss the matter, because the Union was bound not to accept less than 20s a hundred, machino or blade.

Mr King said that the members of the Union were determined, and had pledged themselves that they would not shear in the coming season under 20s a hundred, no matter what the award.

The Commissioner: Have you thought of the consequences P Mr Laracy said that he had thought of the consequences. He held that where there was no engagement there could be no strike, and there was nothing in the award dealing with anything in the matter of a prosecution except a atrike. He had carefully considered the matter, and was satisfied with tlie stand taken by the shearers. It- was useless to discuss the matter, because they could not agree. The Commissioner said that he had noticed a paragraph in tlie papers to tlie effect that if the dispute was referred to the Arbitration Court and tlie Court did not make an award to fciiit the Union, the shearers would not a pply f° r work at the commencement of the season. In his opinion this would be a very dangerous position for the Union to take up. It would mean thnc if the Arbitration Court's awards were ignor'sd. there would be a danger of upsetting the Conciliation and Arbitration Act which had done so much good for the workers. If tlie Arbitration Act was done away with it would prove very injurious to unionism and things would revert to the old order. Strikes would take place, and would be, as in the past, very disastrous to the workers and their families. Everyone would admit that, both employers and workers. If the workers ignored the Act, the whole thing would go back to where it started and men would work for whatever they could get. It must be admitted that the Act had done an immense amount of good for the workers. He would like them to eomo to an agreement, or whatever the award of the C-ouru might be, to stck by it. Mr King said that the Arbitration Act was very unsatisfactory. Mr Waddell said that the Union was practicaify forced into the position hy the men themselves, who had stated that they would be better without the Union if they could not get their demands.

Mr Laracy said that the Union's representatives had no power to deal with the matter. The Union was totally opposed to strikes, but was going to refuse to make engagements. He had many letters from Australia, and he was endeavouring to xirevent Australian shearers from making engagements.

The Commissioner said that if the Union refused to work under an award it ignored the Court. If one or two Unions did that the Court would be done away with.

Mr Laracy: If the Act goes altogether wo cannot help that. We want 20s u hundred.

Mr Pryor said that the Commissioner s remarks were exceedingly apropos. The attitude of the Union was unreasonable ill saying that whatever the -award was it would not be recognised unless it- gave exactly the demands of the shearers. A\ hile the employers were anxious to obtain their demands they were prepared to abide by any a-ward of the Court. There was "grave danger in any side flouting the Arbitration C-ourt, which was what the Union was doing. Its attitude was actually, if perhaps not legally, a strike. Jlr Johnston ,said that the demand for 20s a hundred was fair, and was paid by a large number of farmers already for work less difficult than others paid ISs for. He had received i s much as 2os at times.

The Commissioner: Do the slice pfarmers who pay more than ISs belong to the Union ?

Mr Johnston: Yes, I know a number of them.

The Commissioner: Then that proves that the employers in many instances have treated their men well, and that there is no grievance. They have regarded the wage as a minimum. Mr Waddell: Supposing we are prepared to discuss the employers' demands, why are they asking for a reduction to 17s 6d ?

The Commissioner: Perhaps they axe like the workers, and are prepared to spring a little. In reply to the Commissioner, the workers' rejiresentatives stated that there were about a thousand shearers in Canterbury, and the demand for 20s had come in the way of remits irom various parts of the province.

The Commissioner: Supposing that the employers agreed to give you 20s for three years, would you not then be asking for 2os i

Mr Waddell: We would give them nine or ten years at 20s. The Commissioner said that his experience of unions was that they would agres to accept, say, -8s a day at one sitting, and next time they would asu" for lUs. That was the difficulty let with by the employers. Every time the workers came up they asked for a higher rate of wages.

Mr Johnston: This time we wo aid not be guilty of that. Mr Griffen said that the last time he had met Mr Laracy in the North Island he had said that if shed hands were not recognised there would rot be a sheep shorn in the North Island. Mr Laracy replied that he was then dealing with a North Island case. Mr lving said that lie had mentioned the determination of the shearers not to work for less than 20s, regardless of any award to give the employers a reasonable chance to make a settlement, because undoubtedly shearers were scarce in New Zealand, and if the question was not settled others would stav away.

The Commissioner observed that undoubtedly the goal of the shearers for some time had been 20s.

It was agreed to hold the clause over, and proceed with the other demands. In the clause regarding machinery the workers' representatives asked that the machines should he in good working order and tlint the shearers should he the judges of them.

The Commissioner said that it was visel o ** to hamper the emnloyers with conditions that they could not work Tinder.

In to other elfins'": tlipt, Mr Tjvncr desired to submit.. Mr Millton snirl tbnt. tlie employers bad not seen them unci could not embody them in an agrogrnent. Mr Laracy said tlxat the workers da*

sired to sea embodied in tlie agreement clauses regarding price, dagging and crutcliing, and if thes6 could not bo dealt with, the Council would be of 110 use to them. If tho assessors could come to an arrangement on the price they might then know how much they could give and take ou the other clauses.

Mr Griffen said that they could not agree on the price. Mr Laracy; Then it is no use going on at all.

In reply to tho Commissioner, the employers' representatives said that they would not agree to 20s for hand shearing and ISs for machine shearing. The Commissioner asked whether the parties desired to go to the Court on all the conditions.

Mr Laracy said that the employers' assessors had come to the Council tied on every clause, and could not conciliate. The workers were tied only on the price. At this stage the Commissioner conferred privately with the workers' assessors, and on resuming Mr Triggs announced that tho "workers were prepared to sign a. partial agreement clause for clause tho same as the Mas—terton partial agreement. The employers' assessors, after consultation, announced that while they were prepared to discuss tlte proposals clause by clause, they could not accept the Masterton agreement. They were quite prepared, also, to take the whole matter to the Court.

Mr King suggested that the whole matter should be referred to the Arbitration Court, and tho suggestion was agreed to. The Commissioner referred to the friendly manner in which the matter had been discussed by both parties, and, addressing the employees' representatives said that he hoped that they would consider any action they took, and consider other unions and other branches of indusutry. Mr Laracy said that they could not go back on the steps already taken. Mr Mill ton, on behalf of the employers, thanked the Commissioner for the care with which he approached tho cs.se, and for the entire impartiality with which he had considered it.

Mr King, for the employees, endorsed these remarks.

The Commissioner, in thanking tho parties, said he had done his best to bring about a settlement, but he had, unfortunately failed.

Mr Laracy told a reporter in the evening that on Monday he would begin a campaign throughout Otago and Southland, with the object of inducing the men to remain at their present vocations, rather than to relinquish them in order to shear for less wages than £1 a hundred. He said that the men would go without the work sooner than take it at lower rates than those they had decided were fair. It was not a question of the officers, or even the executive, taking up that attitude in opposition to "the employers, ho said.

The fact of tlie matter was tho hands of the leaders were tied by xlio men themselves, who had made up their minds that they would steadfastly adhero to the principle that no shearing should be done for less than £1 a hundred. Mr Lar'acy will give his iirst address in Oamaru.