AGREEMENT MADE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20893, 24 November 1937, Page 6

AGREEMENT MADE

EMPLOYEES ON CHAFFCUTTERS INCREASED RATES OF PAY Complete agreement was reached in a Conciliation Council in Timaru yesterday between the South Canterbury Chaffcutter Employers’ Association and the New Zealand Workers’ Union in the framing of a new award to be enforced between the Rangitata and Waitakl rivers. The Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie) presided. The following acted as assessors: Employers, Messrs D. I. Macdonald (Christchurch), E. O’Loughlln. P. Neilsen, T. Kyle and A. Moore; employees, Messrs R. Eddy (Wellingto::), J. G. Leckie and B. R. Bung. Minor clauses were disposed of after a short discussion, the only point at issue being rates of pay. It was agreed that except through accident or illness or any circumstances beyond the control of the employer, the minimum number of hands should be a driver, a feeder, two stackmen, two bagmen, waterman, and, in camp, one cook. Workers’ Claims The employees asked: Driver 4/6 a 100 bags, feeder 4 - a 100 bags, ordinary hands south of Otaio River 3/6 a 100 bags, north of Otaio River 3/3 a 100 bags; cook £4 a week: straw cutting, double ordinary rates. The employer? based their counter claims on the 1937 award, offering the following rates of pay: Where seven men are employed—Driver 3/3. feeder 3/-, ordinary hands 2/4 a 100 bags; where six men are employed—Driver 3/3, feeder 3/-, ordinary hands 2/7 a 100 bags; on three-knife cutters employing one man less—Driver 3/9. feeder 3/6, ordinary hands 3/2 a 100 bags; when cutting straw chaff 8d extra a 100 bags; cook £3 a week.

After discussion the clause making a boundary at the Otaio River was deleted. On behalf of the employers. Mr Neilson argued that on every occasion when the parties had met during recent years a slight increase in wages had been agreed to. It was uneconomic to allow wages to climb tc a peak, only to come down again in slump times. It was better to stabilise the rates at a fair level, which was in keeping with the Government’s policy of guaranteeing prices to avoid booms and slumps. Tractors were increasing in New Zealand and less chaff would be required with the disappearance of horse teams. It was argued that, although chaff was not required so much for horses, it was being used for sheep feed, but hay was becoming a strong competitor.

increase Offeree After a retirement, the employers offered an increase on the old award rate of 2d a 100 bags all round, cook £3/10/- and straw 9d a 100 bags. The offer for oat sheaf clia and the cook’s wages was accepted, th- workers’ representatives asking for a further increase of Id for straw, bringing the rate to lOd a TOO bags. A further retirement was trken, after which the employers agreed to the request. making the individual rates: (a) Where seven men are employed—Driver 3/5, feeder 3/2, ordinary hands 2/6 per 100 bags; (b) Where six men are employed— Driver 3/5, feeder 3/2, ordinary hands 2/9 per 100 bags; (c) On three-knife cutters employing one man less—Driver 3/11, feeder 3/8, ordinary hands 3/4 per 100 bags; (d) When cutting straw chaff lOd extra per 100 bags shall be paid to each hand employed. The cook's wages were fixed at £3/10/- a week and found,

A complaint was made that on some motor cutters the men were compelled to ride on the machine while travelling on the road exposed to the weather and also to the danger of accident if the motor was moving at any speed. A special clause was inserted requiring employers to provide reasonable protection for the men while travelling or. the road. Provision also was made for the exemption from the award of farmers using machines solely on their own property to cut their own chaff.