FREEZING INDUSTRY AWARD.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20172, 26 February 1931, Page 8

FREEZING INDUSTRY AWARD.

—* —: ■ . 'COUNTER-CLAIMS ENTERED. .. As the result of a uioto mode m Auckland some months ago by freezing works employees for an - increase iu wages, freezing wropanies throughout; ■New JSoalind aw now moving under the' Industrial Conciliation rind Arbitration Act for on all-round reduction hi the wages of their employees of up. •to 17 per cent.-for time men and up bo 25 per cent, for piece workers. The Aucklan<U Union cited the two Yuckland freezing works claiming an ihcrense of 10 per cent,,on all wfcges. and manv additional conditions, notw ifhstauding the fact that the award , under whi3i' the freezing industry c-peratoß is a Dominion award. The »«ployei» counter-cited the Aucklano iljuon claiming' a 15 per cent, reduction in wcgea of time workers and a 20 pet> • apnt. reduction in the , wages ,of piece workers. „As these companies, however, operated under a Dominion award, the other companies in Wellington, Canterbury. end Otago-Southland are acting in Agreement', and hare entered similar citations agaiust the unions inihoge d-stricts, and are seeking a new award in place of the one that expired on December 31st, 1930, while those unions l lt ,rt? counter-cited claiming increases in wages of'from 5 to 10 per cent, and several alterations in the pretent conditions of employment. The folloving dates hove , been set down for the Conciliation Council proceed. ngsCanterbury, March. lgLli; Dunedin, March IStli, and Wellington, March 24tli It is expected that the Wellington -sitting 1 will be the main one, and ft will probably be treated as a Dominion council. Tt is probable also l.hat a conference between the parties will bo lield before the Conciliation Council proceedings in Wellington.