THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1625, 17 December 1912, Page 4

THE SLAUGHTERMEN.

; WHAT THEY ARE DEMANDINQ. BATES OF PAT AND GENERAL CONDITIONS. '' For some time past it has been, generally known that the Now Zealand Slaughtermen's Federation was contemplating a set of new demands from the freezing companies early in the now year. Yesterday, a representative of The Dominion was shown a copy of the men's statement of drams. The demands aTe as under :— Pay and Working Hours. ■The ordinary hours of work shall he between 8 a.m.. and 5 p.m. on five dnys in tho week. One hour shall be allowed for lunch' .between- the hours of 12 noon and 1 p.m. -On Saturdays work shall commence at B'a.m. and cease not later than 12 noon with 15 minutes' smoke-oh. Tho rates for sheep and lambs shall be: All sheep and lambs not otherwise specified, 30s. per 100; double fleece sheep, 375. Cd. per 100; rams and stags other than rain lambs, 6d. each; all sheep characteristic of rams, Gd. each; dead sheep or lambs,. Is. each; no sheep or lambs to be dressed with long shanks; no daggy sheep or lambs to be killed; all sheep or lambs coming more than seven miles by.road shall stand four hours before being killed; all sheep yards shall be covered for at least one day's killing, drained and built up with solid floor. The rates for cattlo shall be: Bullocks and cows, 2s. Od. per head; bulls''2s. Gd. per head.; all bulls to be chopped and soft-sided, otherwise double rates be paid. For calves the rates shall be: Up to 1001b., Is. 6d.; over 1001b. and up to 2001b., 25.; over 2O01b.; beef rates; double rates'to be paid for all Kosher stuff; all dead cattlo done at the works shall be paid for at 7s: Od. each. Tho rates for pigs shall bo:. Pigs up to 1001b., Is; over 1001b., Is. per 100 extra for every 1001b. or fraction of 1001b.; pigs that have to be skinned shall be double rates on agreement prices. Overtime, Waiting, and Smoke-oh. The following conditions are asked in reference to smoke-oh, overtime, and waiting time: Fifteen minutes in the forenoon and 15 minutes in tho afternoon shall be ■ allowed for smoke-oh. The smdkc-ohs 6hall be as nearly as possible to £15 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Overtime shall bo paid for at the rate of fate and a half. Not more than one hour per da;^ : overtime to be worked.. No overtime to be worked on Saturday. All overtime to lie worked before 8 a.m. Should it bo necessary at any time'to start work'after 8 a.m., waiting time shall be paid from 8 a.m. till time of starting. Should the men be...called put before 8 a.m., and no work they'"shall be paid.overtiino rate .7- a.m. Slaughtermen, shall wait 15 minutes in the event of a out out, but if required to wait longer ,than 15 minutes they shall be paid at the '>ate of jßs.per hour for all time waited, the recognised dinner, hour to be excluded. Slaughtermen shall be paid one hour wait'ing time when not told the day before if they come in the morning and there is no stook. In limit sheds the minimum on sheep and lambs shall be twelve per hour idr those capable of doing twelve. : Work Defined.. Mutton-butchers'.duties shall consist of killing, taking out'tongues, taking off shanks, skins (including wool portion of head), and heads, severing wool pieces, taking iusides.'out, wiping and hanging off. i

Slaughtermen shall be allowed to cut wool pieces up or down as they please. Boef butchers' duties shall be:—Stun or .'pith, bleed and take head- off, hoist, ground, take hide off, skin and take tail off, take insides out, strip caul, wipe and clean, .divide into sides, chop rump and saw injur joint in loin''to iourth rib from neck. All cattle to be put in the pithing-pen by tho employer. Conditions Governing Learners. The conditions'which ft is asked shall ■ apply in respect to learners are:—The employers may employ learners in their respective factories.. Each learner shall be provided with a hook. '■ Tho hooks for • learners shall be kept separate as far as "reasonably practicable from the hook's of the slaußlitermen. Learners shall bo em- ■ ployed in such proportion to slaughtermen that there shall not bo more than one learner to every, twenty slaughtermen . or fractiou of the first twenty. No learners shall be allowed to start while members of the union are idle. Gut-boys shall be.given preference.as learners. A learner when capable of killing and dressing eight sheep or lambs, for frees, ing. purposes to the satisfaction' of the foreman butcher, shalLbe classed as a com.petent slaughterman, and shall be trans ferred from the learners' class. Not more than one set of learneTS shall be allowed to work:in any one shed in any one season. - Each employer shall employ a slaughterman to teach such learners. The said slaughterman shall be a member of the union. 'His remuneration shall be the average tally of the board. Learners shall be paid for the slaughtering done by them at not less than the rates specified ' in this agreement. Each learner must be a member of a union affiliated with the New Zealand Slaughtermen's Federation. The federation shall not fine or in any way penalise any member thereof for becoming a learner under the provisions of ■ this • agreement or ior teaching any such learner in accordance with the said provisions. Each employer shall b« entitled to. have one learner in each beef slaughterhouse, and such learner shall bo taken off the mutton-board. No beef butchers shall be allowed.to employ labourers. , • . Holidays and Preference. "The recognised holidays shall be:—New Year's Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day. Birthday of Reigning Sovereign, Good Friday, Easter Monday, and Labour Day. Other holidays to be arranged to meet the requirements of the.several localities. All work done on any one of the holidays or on Sundays shall be paid for at double rates. Preference of employment shall be .given..to .members of the New Zealand Slaughtermen's Federation. Provided that for the purpose of this agresment the rules with respect to the admission of members shall be interpreted to mean that no ballot or other election shall be required in tho case of any person of good character or any person who does not owe contributions to any kindred organisation. Any., member who is appointed as a foreman or any other position of trust shall, cease to be a member of the union. ■.General Matters. ~.:..'.' Not more than one slaughterman shall be" engaged for each hook in each slaughterhouse. No .'more than two men to work in one'pen; In the event of a man meeting with an accident which is likely to keep him off for over a month the employer shall have tho right to temporarily fill the vacancy. " Wages shall be paid weekly, two days' ' lie tinio- to be allowed. ■•-.. /When any slaughterman is required to act as'"clock", ho shall'be paid a minimum of £i per week extra by the company requiring his services. :Drinking water shall lie provided on the board. Boiling water to be supplied for making hot drinks. Lines■'.' shall be placed along cach-boaTd for hanging leggings, etc.'. Suitable bathing accommodation, shall, ho; provided for slaughtermen in all works in the proportion of one bath or shower to every ten men, both hot and cold water to be laid on. Dressing, drying.-dining and bath rooms shall be provided as near as possible to tho slaughtering, board. These to lie for tho exclusive use of slaughtermen, and kept clean by the employer,?. Employers shall provide medicine chest and bandages at tlio works, also suitable paddock accommodation for workmen's horses and shed accommodation for bicycles. Gratings over blood drains shall bo built level with the pens. Wooden gratings shall be placed under eacli hook and on all «m----wrete boards. Grindstones shall be placed in or near every slaughterhouse. One grindstone, turned by power, to every 1 twenty liieh. '