FREEZING WORKERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19767, 15 February 1927, Page 9

FREEZING WORKERS

WANT INCREASED WAGES MEN’S CLAIMS OUTLINED [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Feb. 14. The hearing of the Dominion Freezing Workers’ dispute opened at the Arbitration Court to-diay, Mr Justice Frazer presiding. The workers are represented by Messrs Sill (Auckland) and Ellis (Christchurch) the employers by Mr Sanderson for the companies, Mr Wilkins, secretary of the South Island Freezing Companies’ Association, and Mr Milne, chiairman of the New Zealand Freezing Companies’ Association.

Mr Sill outlined the workers’ claims, as follows: —Deletion of the clause affecting hours of chamber-hands to bring them to the same las other workers and bring the overtime rates into line with other awards; prevention of the alleged abuse of contract system by employers; that the proportion of learners be one to ten instead of one to three; increase of the minumuin average wage to £3 12s a week as the work, once casual only at the beginning and close of a season wlas now casual all through. An increase of 10 per cent wages all round was asked for, in which application the points to be considered would be the standard of living and position of the industry. Mr Sill said th*at the 1914 standard of living could not be adopted to-day. It should be on the standard of to-day, (not those of 13 years ago. Among the arguments, he said that the period of the year in which the workers were employed hud decreased by about half, owing to the increase in the number of works and over-capitalisation. The main causes of the difficulties had been created by the management and could be controlled by it. The position w»as not so bad as was generally assumed. The capital invested, including bank overdrafts and other loan moneys, grew from £1,195,511 in 1914 to £4,821,513 in 1924, but the increase did not give tin increased output. Mr Sill further suggested that the increase in management and office charges for 43 companies, instead of 18 in 1914, expenses of buying staffs in competition, payment of excessive prices for stock and allowtance for rebates and payment of royalties to secure stock were further causes of the position of the companies to-day. In evidence by various witnesses the following wages were stated to have been received:—Uabourers £4 5s sd, £3 10s 4d, £3 18s 7d; freezing workers £3 16s lOd, £3 Ils 7d; slaughtermen £5 12s, £5 6s 2d, £5 9s 2d, £5 4s 7d; slaughterhouse assistants £3 Us Gd, £3 18s lOd; fellmongers £3 17s Id.

Mr F, C. Ellis, giving evidence from the returns of freezing companies re garding tho hours of chamber hands, said that not one man in 100 understood the clause as it stood, and he urged that more hours be worked between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. At present men sometimes started at midnight or 2 a.m. and would be so many hours at ordinary rates, so many at ordinary time plus Gd, so many at time and aquarter, so many at time and a-half, and so many at double time. It was hard for anyone to understand the exact wording of a clause which contained so many “ except where otherwise provided” stipulations.

Evidence on behalf of the New Zetland Farmers’ Union was then given by Mr W. J. Polson, President of that body, who said the farmers regarded the present cost of freezing as too high, and were of opinion that unless some relief were obtained from these and other high costs, disaster was ahead.