SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 931, 26 September 1910, Page 9

SHEARERS' DISPUTE.

> —_ COURT'S AWARD. ONE POUND FOR HAND SHEARING ' LOWER PAY FOR OTHER CLASSES. NOVEL CLAUSE. WHAT WILL BE THE SEQUEL? ; Tho/shearers' dispute reached a ■ definite: and, important .stage on, Satur- ; , 1 day morning, '.when' tho '•• Arbitration f-. Court,issued its now ';award,' 'in which an endeavour has been made to meet ..the/spe'cial oircuinstances-' of tho caso l)y introducing a novel provision. Mr. ' Justice -.Sim . presided, : and the representatives of the employer's and workers, Mr. W. Scott and Mrl' J. A. M'Cullough respectively, wero .seated, with' j/.; : 3iiin;i>r// ; /// v/-" 1 It will bo remembered that Mr. i; . J/aracy- (secretary of tho New Zealand L Shearers'; Federation), who Tepresented ' "• the;:shearers in tho proceedings,' on being questioned ' by.;; the;.'judge stated ;- that,:in tho event of tho Court -fixing minimum shearing rates, tho union i ' would;,'still "advise the; meii. not ia shear ! for less than 20s. ;;a hundred, -His S Honour then asked the 1 employers \ : , whether, in the face, of 'that declaration, V .. .for - ari , award iv- covering rates, of pay. Their .-.reply, ': 'V' which was in tho - affirmative, .was'.announced by their representative (Mr. W. Pryor) on Friday morning. ■■■■:-• On the resumption of tho .Court yesterday morning (the parties being re- 1 : presented as before),. Mr.'-Justico Sim ;. eaid that.. the Court , had"; i made an award .fixing .tho rates- of pay and em-' , ;, bodjing:. the general conditions, of the. last;.'^ Canterbury award, '.which . would be the generahconditionsof , the. .Welling-; ton award, and all other awards that . the Court, might bo asked to make: He' drew atterilibn to'lt]io) : new; v cla'u.Ee (23) forbidding, tho union .to->.do'..'&ny-' . thing' to prevent. shearers accepting' : work at tbo raira fixed. Tho award would continue: in force for'-three years,' and the same: term of operation' would be fised for tho.."Wellington and.. tho : v ; Otago . and '; Southland . awards.. This, award, 'therefore, 'practically 'settled,' 60 far as tho Court could do so,, the . conditions of, shearing' throughout the Dominion. His Honour then read the memo- : randum .which follbws award, and .;: which is printed.below.. ' . . The Shed Hands. , His Honour also stated that when the: Canterbury. shed . hands': ; dispute came on for hearing,', the; Court .would' determine: whether an award should: or 'shouldrnot-'be.maide in. theiT.case.'j- s .The Wellington.'shed hands' dispute ; would ~s tand, oror until.after the Canterbury. . dispute had-been heard. , : Mr. F. Waddell (secretary of - tho ■: Canterbury -Shearers' ; Union) asked : when. t-ho. Canterbury, shed ihands' dis- " pute would-.-be taken hy tho Court. His:.Hononrln November.. - - . Jlr.- E. -W: Abbott -(secretary 'of the' ; " Wellington Shearers'. Union): asked when tho Wellington .shed hands' di 5..... ..... pute. would-be taken.. . . • ; His;, Honour,; said, it would bo taken some time after the Canterbury case, but ';:; the.date could not now bo fixed.;. ;'. ; r /; . Mr.. Laraoy Asks a Question. !. I Mr. Laracy: I would like to ask ono .question, :yo,iir.Honour, if I-may-do;so. Will: it be a.'breacli of tho award 'to adviso shearer's that the Court only fixes a minimum rate? • ■; ■' ; , : ,'\" His Honour: I am not- hero to bo - - cross-examined by you, Mr. Laracy. If you want any advice, you had :better, consult-a solicitor.', t Mr.. Laraoy:-Thank you, sir. . • " , The Court; then- proceeded to other -... business. ■yfs-rU * THE AWARD. DIFFERENTIAL SHEARING RATES. - .The full terms of the award'are given' below. - It; is of interest to note, for the' sake of comparison,- that the- em-.: . ' ployers' offer as stated in Cfeurt last Thursday by Mr. Pryor, comprised tho - following minimum > shearing v rates: Lambs, 17s. Gd. per hundred; sheep, by, machine, 18s. 6d: per 100; sheop, . by. blade, 20s. per . 100.; with: theVex-:' ; isting '.Canterbury' award.s 'conditions;; . -The shearers - had asked-for 20s,'per' - 100 ,all, round. The.minimum rates mf " S ra jt.ed, as will bo seen- below (Clause, 5), axe • differential: as desired :;-v:byJ in'V.twoclasses. of shearing, than those offered them.' :.: The . "Canterbury eond-i- ---. tions,?':-which-are now to apply to Wel- . : Jington, differ considerably from those oitherto in forcer in this district. ;. ... ■ Tho former Canterbury award,, which was made 'in ; September, 1903,. states: ■: /"The rate for shearing bymaeMne or hand shall be not.. less than 18s. per . 100, with rations. In cases whero'.the i, shearers,: find. this rate., shall be: increased by . 3s. '4d. "per ~. Hiundred;" Tho words relating to rates: for stud sheep, hogget rams, and ordinary rams are tho same in tho old and new awards. ; Following is-tho new award:— ■ ■ Employer to . Have Control. • 1. Subject to the provisions of : this , award,. the employer shall have full control of nis shearing operations, , Duties of Shearers. V 2. Each shearer shall-shear.with allreasonable dispatch the sheep the em-; pJoyor;or. agent requires hiin' to shear, ; , and in good time and in" a workmanlike; inanner, to .the satisfaction-of the'eni-. ; ployer or his - agent. . ,Thp number:. to' be shall be agreed upon; approxthe., .employer or.'.-his-a S cn t. and the, shearers before the com- ,: mencement ,;of. the shearing.: - - . , ;, 3. No shearer shall; bo absent from work. jvitnout; leave except;, oil • proper • f n . d reasonable":'. grounds,., nor shall ho ', bring any intoxicants, on, to the station".;^ . , Hours of Work. Tiio hours' of shearing shall be' •- from,s ,: ; a.m.'. to-. 5 p.m... or, -from-; 5.30 a.m.-? to; o.tjQ "p.m., witli "intervals for : v mea s,-;; and,;, smoking, as shall bo. 'mu-. ■ tually agreed upon between,- the , shed . manager, and . tlie shearers' - representa-'. . tive. Shearing sliall stop at 4 p.ni.' on. . Saturdays,; except '.in the: case' ''when 48 hours and 20.;mihutes' ".work / shall have been; done;before noon,'.'in Which ease work may bo stoppetl tlien. When shearing wet..ewes, the.sheel manager, may; alter the. intervals: for smoking;, and extend' the hours to the extent of naif an hour in'order to complete' the cut-out. " • . ; . Rates of Pay. - : 5. The- rate 'for shearing by " hand .-. shall. ,be not less than 20s. per -100 .■.with.'rations. ,The rate for shearing by machine shall'be not less than'l9s.: 6d. per :100,:..with' .rations:' ; The 'rate'- for . .shearing lambs shall bo'not less thaa . 18s. Gd. per 100, with rations. In cases: where shearers find themselves in .rations these , rates shall - be increased 'by 3s. per 100. Tho rates for stud sheep shall bo settled by agreement between the employer' arid the shearer employed' to do the work. • -. ■■ 6. Tho rate for "shearing hogget rams ' shall be rate and a half, and for other rams'double ordinary rates. - - Payments to Shearers. 7. Once in each week, on a day to be aamed, by - the employer or his agent'

at the commencement of shearing, tlio 'employer shall, at. tho" request of any 'shearer, pay'to such shearer or his order, any sum not exceeding. 75 per cent, of the net amount then duo to him. Such money may be paid by cheque or by order, and if such 'ohequo • be not ; upon a local bank exchange shall be added. A cheque required by a shearer, : in order to be sent to . the place on which it is drawn, shall be deemed a cheque on a local bank. 8. All sheen shorn shall be paid for in full at t-ho end of the shearing, , after deducting , all payments a-lready made; and any sums, due from the shearer to. the employer.'. ~ ■ 9. If a: shearer's employment shall have terminated before the . finish , of shearing "owing, to' 'illness- or , accident or; through, illness in his family,' or 1 , other similar or. urgent: cause he shall be .paid in full for. all' sheep he shall have shorn,' subject, however, to such 'deduction's as are mentioned in the pre- . ceding clause. ' If the shearer's 'eroiploy- ' meiit shall liavo terminated by his ','doivtt' before .the finish' of -the shearing, then his legal: personal representatives shall; be entitled .to claim and receive any money that may be due "to him.; ; Settlement of Disputes. .10.' A representative.shall be elected by the shearers, -such representative and the, person'in charge of the ; shed shall,'.' as -far l as possible, . settle , all disputes in connection with'-tho;'shear- - Ceneral Provisions. .11. No shearer shall bo' bound to ,shear?any. cancered slieep. - , i : '12: No 'shearer 'shall enter a catching' pen. after the bell rings., 1 ■ ... ; 13.- sheep . shall, .be ...taken carefully from tlie, catching;' pen, and no; "sheep .'shall be legged out unless with the' permission of the person in ..charge ;of- the.: shed, 'but no .shearer shall, be. compelled te carry : sheep out;of a pen. ;No shearer .shall kick or.ill-treat .any sheep. . In case a.shearer turns out a sheep 'badly cut or insufficiently tarred, he ..shall at once; sew ..'aiid; tar.: - suoh wounds in his .peri or otherwise | dress :the sheep as' direbted; perI son in charge of but rio'sheaTI er shall be required "to sheep in, other cases.: When a slieep; is out, or .otherwise. injured, ,th!e fshearerv ' shall; immediately, report :'thq fact; to : the. person in charge of tho. shed. ■' : : ■ .: Jl4. No shearer shall be compelled'to' shear sheep; he /has reasonable grounds to consider wet, on . reporting :same' to' , the; manager of the .shed? immediately; nor. shall' the employor bo compolled to pen sheep: that he considefs '.wet. ■"■'ls/ TII9 employer;shall find; free; grazI ing, if 'required,', for: one horse,for each shearer. v .;"..v;: : V ■ j'y;j. 16." The; employer shall find free', of. ;cost;one least for, every, six shearers or: fraction :of six shearers employed. ■ . 17. In -sheds-Where: machines are' used, the employer shall find the necessary, machinery and oil,' and the shear- , erg' shall pay " for combs- and cutters at;, cost price. • N ;■-- w'Rations. t 18. Where rations, aro to be provided by: : tho:'employer. sufficient, food-of good (juality; shall be; r supplied ; to the '.men, . 1 I arid shall. include .jam,'- 'and/not less, than 0:10 pound of .butter per/week for; each shearer. - /-'... '. ;/10.' Where the ,a j contract .cook, the.;provLsions -.of;; clauso 18 shall apply. ' . ; ' ' ! . .20, The cdiningrobm, shall bo suffix; 'ciently- lighted 'each eveiiihg- until!,nine | o'clock. No - Discrimination. ! 21. No eiriployer/.shall, • in the ~ engagement or dismissal ot dis-. joriminate: against.:: members.; of •; the: ;tmipK;''i,nor. 'do purv injuring; the directly.',^^or^'jiidireciiy: -Provided' that nothing in '-this; award shall interfere with tie right of.'the employer to, discharge" aiiy ; shearer " at -'any; time for such incompetence' or misconduct '. as would justify such 'discharge .under, the general law. . • . . . ;: .../-;.'• 22. When members of. tho union and iibn-members are" employed : together, there shall be no distinction/between membcri and/non-mmbers,.. and /both', shall work . together in harmony,' and shall', receive equal pay for equal; work.; Union Not to Defeat Provisions of Award. '■- r 'M.:'N«thorHiie.''imion/npi , , i My,.m^- : ber thereof; shall- do anything, either directly: or indirectly •.for, the purpose of aiiy person, 'from: working under the :conditi6n's fixed' by this award, ov for the purpose of ; -inducing any /person(-to' abstain;; from : working under: ;the coinditions : fixed - by /: -tihis. award; and_ for -.the purposti of constituting a breach "of this provision it shall riot be necessary : for- the offender to havo. any particular person or per-, sons- in - view' at the: ; tinie : of,, the. j a-l-. leged offence. .. / /■.//; Strlkes v -' 24. ■ (a) The union shall do all- in its. power to prevent any ~ strike by any of; the workers affected by,:,this award,, ajid, if any strike shall occur in .whicli any members of,;, the. union ; shall .take part,. such .strikp .shall, bo. prima: facie evidence-that the . union , has committed a breach of its duty hereunder. (b) If. any strike bj; any of tho workers • affected by this .'award, shall; occur, .then/the 'operation: of all. - the provisions contained in the foregoing clauses ..of this', award shhll;.. besii's-; nended/and, iri lieu thereof,, the following^provisions shall come into force, .and'shall remain , in force until .' ths further order, of. this Court,; that -is to .say.:—The hours of work,' wages, , arid other'conditions of work; for, all;workers coming within ;the scope - of this a\y ard shall bb fixed 'by:, between each. : employer : and the individual, workers employed by him. -.: ,/ / '.. (c) Tho Court reserves leave to' ariy : party bound' by this - award: to' apply: to this Court- for 'an order under-'"this clause,; declaring, that; a - strike has' taken place, or bringing' into forco again, . after; a . strike. has_ taken place, the provisions, contained' in the foregoing clauses of this, award. ■ Term of Award. ' 25; This award shall . como- into forco on the 24th . day . of September,; 1910, arid shall continue in force until the :24th day . of September, 1913. ; ' Memorandum. / Practically tho only questiori in this dispute was as to the rates of pay. These, have .been fixed' by the C° ur t as 'set; forth ; in. the award. The Court 'has inserted a clause for the purpose of making it penal for tho union or any .member thereof to attempt to prevent workers from accepting work at the rates fixed'by the award. No Workeris bound to work at these rates, and any worker- is at liberty, to stipulate for a higher rate. If, however, workers, acting in combination, refuse 'to work with a .view to obtaining a higher rate, that will constitute : the offence of taking part in" a. strike. Under the clause now embodied 111 the award, the union or any member thereof, acting in the way prohibited, will bo guilty of a breach of the award, and will bo 'liable te a penalty in respect thereof, in addition to any penalty that may be incurred under Section 110 of the Act. IHinployers are recommended to allow a representative of tho union, duly authorised in writing, to.. _ have all reasonablo facilities for visiting, the •sheds during the shearing, hut, so that tho representative shall not interfere with the shearers during working hours. A COMPARISON. PRESENT RATES. Below are tho minimum shearing rates of tho old awards and tho ruling rates where awards are ri°t in force. 1

No distinction is made as between hand a-rid machino shearing:— Wellington (award), 20s. per 100. Auckland, Poverty Bay, and Taianaki, 17s. 6d. to 18s: per 100.. Marlborough, 18s. per 100." . Canterbury (award), 18s. per 100. Otago . and Southland '(award), 18s. per 100. ~ HOW THE EMPLOYERS VIEW IT, STATEMENT BY MR. PRYOR./ In reference to the new shearers' award, Mr. W. Pryor, secretary to the. New. Zealand Employers' Federation, told a Dominion.reporter on Saturday, that '.the employers felt that their proposal; to pay 17s. 6d. per hundred for shearing lambs, ,18s. 6d. for machineshorn sheep, and.2os. for blade-shorn sheep _ would have involved a 'consider?', ablo increase. Taking tho Dominion as a whole, it 'would' have amounted to many' thousands of pounds. In view of the fact that their , claims, were not refuted 'before ; the Court, employers had anticipated that their proposal would form the basis of an -award. They . fe)t,/therefore, that the Court had treated tho unions more than liberally in, making the rates of pay 18s." 6d. for lambs, 19s. 6d. for machineshorn sheep,' and 20s. for blade-shorn sheep. These rates were estimated to cost the sheepowners of .the Dominion an. extra £20,000 a year. Under the circumstances, shearers were to be congratulated on tho results they'had attained". ; It was hardly to' be supposed; that, many of them would refuse a rate; that wwdd give them a. return of 20s : . to 255." per. day' 'and their board.: The award, in fact/ represented a big gain to', the shearers',. taking New Zealand as a whole. . Approximately, it involved an increase of 6d. per hundredon 25 per cent, of the' sheep in New Zealand, and. of Is. Gd. to 2s. per hundred on the remaining .75 per cent. Among fair-minded representatives. of ■, both, sides it was generally conceded that. the; award-was a very fair . one,: considering the .complex | ; nature'of •'the .dispute,, and that, in ;their opinion it. would work out satisfactorily,- although there might be a .few heart-burnings. on both sides. A good solution had been found of a very difficult problem. ' , • MR. LARACY SATISFIED. BUT STILL .WANTS THE POUND. ' NO SHEARING FOR LESS. - Mr. Laraoy was, interviewed by ' a Dominion reporter alter the rising of the. Court.'.:.' Mr. Waddell, secretary, ,of the/ Canterbury Shearers' Unioii; Tvas' present,, and;:concurred- witE' tlie-state'-, ments. made -by ;\lr. Laracy. . • s6..far' as, the union' is; concerned,". said Mr. Laracy, in reply to a question, "is, entirely' unaltered. Our members' absolutely refuse:to be-,, como workers under, tho 'Act for less than ono pound a hundred—that is to say, a pound a hundred all round, hand or rdaoliine,; any t class, of sheop.,,.. We.' are. not interfering in 1 any way with any shearers who are'already at . work, ■but as officers -of the union we are not at liberty to instruct'the:men.to work at less than a pound a Hundred. Resolutions passed by. tho men themselves and confirmed at the conference in:Wel'.Hngton : make it quite clear'that./'the minimum .price., iin New Zealand...this .yea,r'.must. L b.e'.one. pound—that .is, of course, in cases where the men work.".. V-Aid will the jnen adhere- to those , re/ solutionsP . "To .the. best of, my belief, , there is no. man-who .shears who will -accept .an engagement at a.lowerJ.rate.V... .', ; .And how about: the Australians.?: . "We cah rely-ugon them.Somo. ipjtj:. come: over,-,,but'they .will hot engage "at, ■less thaiL.a.pouhd.a' hundred.";■.////-/ :. But is ; there no, chance of. the/employers getting other men?.. ; "None whatever." v. Are there " not a . great many unemployed? '.. /.. v ; ■ "Yes, there are; but they- can't shear; I have, had: a , good deal of .experience of :troublous. times 'in NewSouth Wales,'and I havo . seen the. spaces under the. woo tables -choked up with secetid .cuts, when-'scabs' were employed, !- It :would noc pay. the employers to put-on incompetent men. They: would -lose, many: pounds: on -the' price of their clip. ' During the 'last three; days. I;Have-had' wires froiri 'all oyer-New j Zealand 1 and Australia', stak irig that. the ; ' men are' not going to •-engage at less than a pound a hundred.": Then you aro not satisfied, with the award?' - "Oh, yes, I am., . I'm quite satisfied ;with ;the award. It , only fixes the minimum' rate, ' and the men are. perfeotly justified in getting as much above that minimum as they .possibly can. I feel Confident that the men will not shear this year under , a pound-a hundred:" ■' . - Will- they,;not'be -liable to a , penalty; -under, the new Clauso 23 in the award? "No, certainly:: not. .There is nothing to compel a man to become a worker if he does not .think fit to do so." DoJyou . say,:.that; in' the -light of the momoraridum. attached the new award?: "Yes,: certainly." ■ But can-'all.':tne.,inen;.refuse/to work .without .incurring the penalty? ~ "Yes. ..There will be no strike or.any■ trouble at the: sheds,' but the men will '.absolutely.' deoliriei to make , engage?, ments, unless they. are. guaranteed a pound, a hundred . all round.:. Nothing, ..that. the . Court' has ;done to-day -, • can take that; privilege ,away from them." .. Mr. Laracy added that' ho was as .firmly'convinced as ever .that the Arbitration Act had. been, and still .was, one of;the "'greatest boons- the workers of New' Zealand had ever, received,-in-, asmuoh; as, it. existed to .abolisk sweat-:, ing. - That was.-pll it ..was originally intended to do, though some, people latterly' had, come to, look upon it as a .means for'regulatingwages. /; CABLE TO AUSTRALIA. Mr. Laracy . cabled yesterday to the editor , of-;" The Worker,','. Sydney, :■ as follows:— ■ ./;, : - ~ : "Award, one pound blades, machines 195,; 6tl. .Men here' solid for. pound all ■round before engaging.—Laracy." / - :. »■