STRIKE SETTLED.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1370, 22 February 1912, Page 4

STRIKE SETTLED.

THE MEAT-WORKS TROUBLE*

BOTH SIDES SATISFIED. WORKS REOPEN ON MONDAY. The meat strike has been settled to all intents and purposes. The couiuiittec9 of employers and employees who have been conducting tho negotiations for settlement met in confercned yesterday alternoon, with Mr. 1\ Hally, Conciliation Commissioner, as chairman, iuid ut six o'clock it was announced that a settlement had been arrived at. The rates of wages hnd be-en agreed upon tho previous day, and all that remained to be settled woro u few general conditions of employment. It was not expected that they would present much, diihculty, but as it turned out a considerable timo was occupied in discussing the preference clause. The union hmi submitted a very stringent clause, but tins tho employers would not have. X modified preference was at length agreed «l>on. It is understood that the companies hnve protected for all timo Uio interests of those o£ their present employees who prefer to remain outside tho union, provided they remain at the w n i l? i ,vork Crom SMSOn to 6«isou. Which means, in effect, that the preferenco clause agreed upon does not entail compulsory unionism. The rough draft or tho agreement was prepared bv Mr. Grenfell, nnd it will bo submitted to the representatives of the parties for verification at 11 o'clock to-day, After the negotiations had concluded yesterday, press representatives woro admitted, and Mr. Hally made the follow, ing statement:—"The parties have arrived niw^nST- 11 ! , T^ y lmve fo "R ht I'oi-d, and it will be submitted to the special committee from each ride. When tW are satisfied that it is correct it w!l afterwards be submitted by the commit' lees to the respective organisations, and if they are satisfied with the work of the Ho""" 1 -n 09 i "'en in all probability opera! turns will be resumed at tho works next Monday Nothing should prevent this " far as I know It is not desirable at S tilVYv™* $ the condition, public but I believe thero will be nn hesitation on the part of the colmnitl e to mako public tho wholo of the busino™ immediately it }. M been rat fied b• U r respective organisations who have Wn represented ut the conference. Per Ton inothor J i h ? VO °l{ servcd towards °"» iTwliH. tl i tllo Co,,rt «°»B way niata I may go a little further, and I" 10 ?'™ t™ men who were mainly responsible for bringing about this arrangeinent They are not present, but I don t think we should overlook them. 1 am telling no secret when I say thai the negotiations have been really brought about Ijy the managing directors of th« two companies on behalf of the cmplovers, and by Messrs. Jones and R«ar* don on behalf of the employees It is intended that .ho agreement shall lw made fern three years, nnd I hope that for that tune there will be no friction \. m F rhc,ll( »' industry." \ Mr. Inpe, representing the Gear Com. pany also made a brief statement "On Malt of the employers," he said, "I wish to thank Mr. Hally for the alile manner in which ho has presided; also -Messrs, Jones and Reardon for brineine the men together, and tho delegates generally for the friendly wav in which have discussed the points More Mr. Beardon spoke on behalf of the union. I should like to add a measure of thanks on behalf of our organise: ion to Mr. Hally for his efforts to promote a settlement, and to Mr. Jones, president of tho Slaughtermen's Federation, who came in as a friendly outsider. Botli men, after meeting Mr. Milliard, managing director of \he Gear Company, came to Hit) conclusion that there was 'nothing to prevent an amicable settlement, provided the parties agreed to come together. Certainly k was necessary for considerable concessions to bo made b.r both sides to achieve their purpose, but so soon as we had the assurance of Mr. Hally and Mr. Jones that tlio managing director was satisfied to meet us in a fair spirit of compromise, there was nothing ',o prevent our meeting, Unfortunately, the settlement has been slo\r in coming by reason of the fact that the departments have been very complicated, or they appeared so to those of Uβ who did iiov know the details. The method adopted, of choosing committees from each department, gavo the fullest opportunity for diecupsion, and, we hope, also gave us an opportunity of arriving at decisions which are. satisfactory to all hands. That, I believe, is what we have arrived at. In fact, I know that when tho agreement sees the lieht of day it will bear comparison with any agreement in the slaughtering industry in any part of the Dominion." The terms of the agreement as arrived at by tlio conference will be submitted to a meeting of the Union, at Petone, at 2 o'clock this afternoon.