SLAUGHTERMEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1608, 27 November 1912, Page 10

SLAUGHTERMEN.

DEMANDS FOR SEASON 1912-13. THE OUTLOOK. CANCELLING HKGISTRATION. So far none of the Wellington meat companies have been officially informed of the slaughtermen's proposals for the season l!)12-Ki, but demands were made somu weeks ago on the Christchurch compnnkt. At present the trade is governed by an award, 1 lie prescribed rate for killing and dressing slie,ep and lainhs being 255. per hundred. It is; understood that tho men now propose to claim 30s. per hundred, and will ask for oilier concessions in the mailer of duties, the percentage of "learners" to be employed, and preference. The award expires on January 17, but already the Otago, Poverty Hay, and Wellington Slaughtermen's Unions have given notice of their intention to cancel registration, and tho other unions are expcctcd to do likewise. If everything has been done in accordanco with tho law, the cancellation of these unions will take elfect a few days before tho date of expiry of the award. I'or the time being, nothing overt is boing done by tho union hero, but, lis most people know, the really busy season only begins in January, while tho rush at the works is usually in tho later half of tho month of Fobruary and the beginning of March, or a little earlier or later according to the state of the pasture. At present very littlo is being done in tho frozen meat industry, for comparatively few flocks have yet been shorn, and until tho shearing is over the works cannot get busy. Tlio number of slaughtermon employed at the various works is, relatively to the magnitude of the industry, not largo— probably not moro than -200 in all the Wellington province—but they aro tile men on whom the output of the works must depend. There are thousands of men. in the district who can kill and dress sheep, but for tho export trade the quality of work must be of the very best, and also the men must he speedy. So that slaughtering for freezing companies if a highly skilled trade, l'or this reason it .may prove a matter of some.difficulty to fill the places of the men if no agreement should be arrived at between the unions and tho companies. • Mr. W. G. Foster, manager of the Wellington Meat Export Company, informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that Jie liad not yet received any intimation from the. union here as to what, tho butchers pro-' posed to do. But tlie companies looked to the slaughtermen loyally to abide by the agreement entered into three'years' ago. It had then been decided that the agreametit should be for a term of five years. When they went to the Court, however, they found that the law did not permit of the award having a currency of moro than three years/ and it was made for ,| this maximum period, but it had besn thoroughly well understood by both parties that after the expiry of this term the award should bo renewed.for a furtherperiod of two years.. Apparently tho union (lid not propose to carry out this 'bargain. It may be mentioned that slaughtermen are, generally speaking, strong, vigorous young men—few of them are more than 35 years of their work is so strenuous that there is no place in the trade for any but temperate men. They make very high wages in tlie short rush season; .£(1 per week is a common enough wage, and many of them make a great deal more than this. Many of the men aro nomads, doing' shearing in Australia aud New Zealand in the seasons, and then taking the rush of tho'. frepzing seasons in : Australia and New Zealand. Jn. this way they are able to mako a (rood deal of money in half of the year, follow-, ing other, less profitable occupations in the le=s busy months. 'ilnterview with Mr. J. C. Cooper. Mr. J. C. Cooper, managing director of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company, was interviewed on thw. subject by a "Wairarapa Age" reporter. Mr. Cooper stated that it was true that a conference had teen held between representatives of the southern companies and the.slaughter;, men in Christchurch. This conference? had, however,' proved abortive, and the men refused to allow tho caso to be taken to the Arbitration Court. The demands made by-the slaughtermen aro for nn increase in the. pay for killing sheep from 2os. to 30s. per hundred, and in tho pay for'killing bullocks of 25 per cent. "But, big as is the increase in wages demanded," said Mr. Cooper, • "that' is not the most serious mattor for the companies. _ The men are also demanding that, instead of there being one learner to ten men, there shall bo only ono learner to twenty, and that no learner shall bo taken on if there is a Unionist available.-" The output from ' the various freezing works was enormously increasing, and (his. necessitated the employment of a great many more slaughtermen than formerly., Tlie wastage in men was in greater ratio than could be made. up. by one learner in ten, and if the number ivas made one in twenty.it would mean . ruin to "the fat lamb trade in, Canterbury, and partial ruin in the North Island, as there were not nearly sufficient men to cope with the increasing output. Another demand which was considered unreasonable was that tho sheep pens should bo covered. "Do you think' there is a prospect of a strike before'tlic expiry ox ille awards?" "I do not'' think so," said Mr. Cooper. He stated'that;it-'was necessary to give six weeks' notice of the proposed, cancellation of registration. If this notico were now, given,..tho, awards of >the ; Canterbury - will have expired, and .those of 'the AVellington: and Wairarapa companies will be hearing expiry. If . the men liad cancelled their registration they would bo ablo to cease work in January "without lie'iig amenable, to the law.. If they discontinued work now, they would be liabln to'prosecution under the'award. "Then the'outlook for the frozen moat trade may lie said to be rather serious?" Mr. Cooper admitted .that it was so. It was,>ho. said, 1 seriotis for the farmers, Serious for the companies, and -serious for those men who were willing to work under fair'conditions.