ARBITRATION COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9015, 23 August 1907, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

THE FREEZERS' DISPUTE. The sitting of the Arbitration Court was continued this morning before Mr Justice Sim, Mr S. Brown and Mr 11. Slater. Tho Canterbury Freezers' Union of Workers applied for an industrial I award, to apply to the Christchurch I P.ieat Company, Canterbury Frozen Meat Company and Nelson Bros. Mr Daroy appeared for the Union, Mr F. Wayinouth for the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company aud Mr W. Murray for the Christchurch Moat Company and Nelson Bros. Mr Darcy said that the employers ha<l been aproaohed by th© Union with a view kn securing an agreement as tt> conditions, but no agreement had been come to in reference to the important points of hours and wages. He contended that in view ot the uncomfortable conditions and arduous nature of a freezer's work, higher wages than those ruling should be paid. Cases had beon known where men had been called upon to work continuously for fifty hours, and on such occasions overtime at the rate of l£d per hour was paid only for a few hours each day. A great deal of work, particularly loading, was done at night, no extra payment being made. The men were given this night work at loading so than meat could be shipped in the daytime, thereby obviating the heavy rates charged on the wharves at Lyttelton for night work. The companies simply worked their men at night in order to save money, and it was only fair that extra payment should be given for night work. The Union also ask.xl that no work should be done between 5 p.m. and midnight each Saturday. His Honor said the men were not compelled to work at any time, but it would be monstrous to prohibit work during the hours mentioned. Mr l>arcy went on to outline the Union's demands in the direction oi lavatory and lunch-room accommodation, and then concluded. His Honor asked if the employers could make a statement as to what they were prepared to offer. Mr Waymouth said the companies wore prepared only to accept a continuance of the old award. Mr Darcy called Thomas Voice, who said that he had worked at several freezing Avorks in tho colony, including Belfast and Islington. The work was very trying and requirea plenty of strength. Ihe constant changes of temperature between the freezing chambers and the outside air were apt to give a man chills. The men worked very much harder in the cool chambers than they would or could outside them, as the temperature was only 6deg or 7deg above zero, and they had to move as briskly a<> passible to keep themselves warm. The hours were long and irregular, and two or three times in a season a man would work thirty hours at a stretch. Seven yeans ago he went on dut} 7 at 5 p.m. on a Wednesday and did not finish till 4.30 p.ni. the following Saturday. There was no place where the men could paes their "spells " comfortably in any freezing works at which he had worked. They sometimes started work at 1 a.m. and finished for tho day before breakfast. John Fisher, a freezer at Belfast, said he had five seasons' experience, two at Islington and three at Belfast. The season lasted about eight months in each year. He corroborated the previous witness's evidence regarding the liability to chills and the hard work involved. There were no regular hours at all. Men started any time of the day or night, and finished any time. There had been no change in the nature of the work during the past five years. His average earnings were about £80 a season. John M'Kinnon, late foreman of the freezing department at Islington, said that he had fifteen or sixteen years' experience of the conditions under which freezers worked. There was difficulty in getting men who could stand the cold and do the work at the high rate of speed necessary. H© did not find tho work healthy so far as his personal experience went. Tho average earnings of a freezer would be £80 to £90 a season. Joseph Johnston, a freezer at Fairfield, said he> had been working for two seasons. He had not experienced any ill-effects to his health. His earnings in his first season we.ro £71 Es 4d, and this season he earned £90 12e 5d (from November 1, 1906, to July 31, 1907). The average daily payment was 8s sd, including Sundays and holidays. Frederick Charles Ellis said he was employed as a freezer for two and a half seasons, up to March last, and had worked at Pareora, Fairfield and Islington. Ho gave evidence similar to that of previous witnesses. The actual average of one Fairfield worker was 6s 2t|d per day for the season. He had known 87£ and 96 hours to be worked in two consecutive weeks. James M'Murchi© said he worked at Smithfield as a freezer for six seasons. He earned £70 6s last season, between January 27 and June- 9, and left work two months before the end of the season. At Smitlifield work never started before 6 a.m., and was never continued over 11 p.m. His average daily wage was Ss Id. Mr W. Murray said that at Smith- ! field the works were within a few miles of Tima.ru Harbourj and special trains were run daity, doing away with any necessity for night loading. Hugh Conway said he had experience 'as a freezer in Queensland ami at Islington. He had left the occupation as he thought it possible to earn a living more easily. Ho was at present out of work. He corroborated the evidence of previous Avitnesses as to the nature of a freezer's work, and the late of wages. This concluded tho case for the Union. Mr Waymouth said that the witnesses called were fairly unanimous that there had been no change in conditions since the present award was granted. The cases in which long hours were worked were absolutely unavoidable, as the work had to be done quickly, owing to the perishable nature of the goods dealt with. He did not see that any evidence had boon brought forward to warrant a demand for what was practically a 66 per cent increase in wages. The Gisborne award gave an increase of 31 per cent on rates ruling in this district, but at Gisborno the carcases handled were, as a rule, of a much heavier class, and entailed more work than those usual in this district. It was imperative for the reasonable conduct of his company's | business that tho present award rates should not be increased. He submitted a statement showing the average wages at various works for the past sesaon. Mr Murray said that the Union in its demands had put forward a new ' definition of casual labour which would cause a good deal of difficulty. He j asked that the old definition bo retained, as tho question of casual labour was a vital one with the freezing companies he represented. The majority of men who worked as " freezers n were casual hands. Out of fifty men in one works, only .seven, were " regular hands." He> asked that a clause be included in the award giving the companies control of their own businesses in regard to the employment and discharge of employees. The Union's demands involved payment at overtime rates fr>r work done early in the morning. This Avas objected tn, on the ground that a great deal of necessary work must be done by the freezers before other departments could start ■work. The firm of Nelson Bros, had their slaughtering done at Islington, and carcases were daily sent from Tslington to the works at Hornby by rail ; the quantity per day varied greatly, and therefore the daily demand i for labour was irregular., If the

Union's definition of casual labour was accepted, the firm would have to daily ongag© its casual labourers, first consulting the Union's employment book at Christchurch. This was manifestly impossible. The firm asked that ciaus© 1 of the award of 1902 be retained in. th© new award, and desired that the time allowed the men. for " spells," fifteen minutes, be reduced to ten minutes, and that the period to be worked between meals be retained at fire hours, instead of four hours as asked for by the Union. The firm was prepared to provide dressing rooms and lavatory accommodation as asked for by the Union, and the Ghristchurch Meat Company was willing to improve the accommodation at Islington, and to abandon the custom of retaining five days' wages till the end of a worker's engagement, [t was asked that the preference clause should apply to regular workers only. Mr Darcy said the Union would agree to a preference clause on the lines indicated. Mr Waymouth called Arthur Hopkins, Inspector for the Canterbury Meat Company, who gave evidence regarding the statement of a\ erage wages submitted by Mr Waytnouth. At Belfast the actual average rates were 9s lOd to lls Id a- day for steady regular workers. He also gave evidence regarding the healthy nature of the employment. The low tempera--tures had been exaggerated by witnesses, the usual temperature being about 20 degrees above zero in the cooling chambers. The rates quoted as daily averages were calculated for the days on which work was actually done. The "off" days were not counted in. fn regard to loading at night, the companies had to abide by the arrangements made with the Shipping Companies, which involved night work for each works alternately. A great deal of casual labour had to bo employed in the busiest part of the season. James Leslie, works manager at Islington, eaid he had been connected with the freezing business for the past nineteen or twenty years. He had three years' ■experience of a " freezer's " work and did not find it unhealthy. He had not had complaints from the men in .his employ at Islington. David Stuart Kinross, foreman freezer m the employ of Nelson Bros., said that it was necessary to employ casual labour to a great extent, and to do a great deal of the work after 5 p.m. daily. The labourers employed mostly lived at Hornby, and all of them had occupations in addition to the work done for Nejson Bros. The intermittent character of the work necessitated casual labour being so largely employed. Mr Darcy said that the evidence of the Union's witnesses had not been shaken", and no attempt had been made to disprove the allegations regarding the arduous and unhealthy conditions under which work was done. The principal points in dispute were the clauses covering wages and hours of labour. The ChTistchurclx Meat Company made an offer to improve the accommodation at Islington five years ago, but no improvement had been made yet. He considered that the Union's demand for Is 6d per hour day work and 2s for night work was well grounded. The Court reserved, its decision. FREEZING WORKS EMPLOYEES' DISPUTES. Mr Thorn applied for an adjournment of the hearing of disputes brought into Court by the meat preservers, slaughtermen's assistants, tallow hands and manure hands, that a further conference witxi the employers might be held. His Honor granted an adjournment till Thursday, August 29, at 10 a.m. The Court adjourned till Wednesday next at 10 a.m.