ULTIMATUM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1651, 18 January 1913, Page 6

ULTIMATUM.

EMPLOYERS TO SLAUGHTERMEN. t ~~ — SEVEN DAYS' GRACE. ■■ • i . THE FINAL TERMS OFFERED. ! • "That tho offer of 275. 6d. per .100,. plus otter modifications or conccEGions contained' in that offer as to tho South ■'■ Island conditions, bo once, more and.finally offered' to tho slaughtermen. A reply to this ofior nowinado by tho conference of freezing companies Is required within seven days from Friday, January 17." This was tho resolution .passed by a confereneo 'of representatives '. of Meat Freezing Companies held in Wellington yesterday, and tho terms of tho resolution ■were-at. onco conveyed by letter to the secretary of tho Slaughtermen's Union, Mr. JI. J. Beardon. All tho companies trading'in New Zealand, with, the exception of that at-Nelson, wero represented at the. conference.. Statement by Sir George Clifford, After tho meeting the- .chairman, Sir Georgo Clifford, made a fuller statement of the views and decisions of the confefence. ' > ■■■ •■ *' . . „ ' "The conference of freezing conipames, he said, "have'found, themselves, unable, to recede from tho liberal -offer already made by them of a rise ~df 25.. 6d. .per 100 ' carcasses of sheep'or lambs. There has been a steady rise since 190G.froin 20s. per 100, and the present rale of 255. ier 100 seems to tha conference to' bo adequate remuneration ■ for tho : work performed. NevertlLslees, : to' present dislocation of trade, and the cessation of employment for tho ether 85 per cent, of their employees, the companies are willing to meet the: demand for increased wages to slaughtermen to the extent named. _■ . ■ "The companies cannot coricedo the demand of the slaughtermen! as, to.the'fur.'thcr restriction of learners, • which limits the number of learners to one in-, pro-, portion to 20 slaughtermen, and to/ only lone such set of learners- in each, season, and moreover practically confines to : one class of men tho supply of such learners. This demand would automatically destroy the "industry for " all •interested" in it, | whether, employers or Employed, withm a' certain 'period, and. is moreover _ subversive of the freedom of • tho individual to choose his career in :a. free country ._ ' "Neither can the companies consent to the .alteration of what" aro' tho preference conditions. 1 Theso have hitherto rendered it compulsory upon all slaughter-, moil to- join tho Slaughtermen s Umon, : but have also imposed .upon :tho ,union the obligation to admit all duly qualified applicants. Tho new demands upset this equally-balanced compromise,, and cannot be accepted even in the interest of tlio workers themselves.' ■ , : i ■ -. . ' . .- . -"There-arc further demands .as. to. arrangement of tho hours of work which would dislocate the wiiolo of the complicated machinery of tho larger factories. Tho stipulation that no slaughtering should commence before 8 a.m. would necessarily drive tho.work in other departments (o a later hour ; than at present, and cannot-be conceded-in fairness , to other workmen nor in justice to tho clients of tho companies. ; -."•.-' : : ' "The 1 companies-now, renew their former '' offer, of ■anincreaso of )yaG;G'to_27s. Gd. per 100, and havo asked for a definite reply, accepting ■■tho'saino-within, seven days,failing, which' they-will consider themselves freo to. make' such. other. arrangements for carrying: on their business.as may seem best." -. Vv .' ■".: .'-- ■'.- ;

.' The. Situation as it '. The alow statcmont .needs little ex-, planation. The' slaugktennen; through their federated unions, mado a demand 'kino weeks ago for -an- increase on, .tha, killing rate from 255. to 30s. per hundred carcasses..of., sheen,,or. lambs, ancl.,also., for certain modifications'iiu- the -concli-, tious under which .they work.. Ihese tie--mands were not granted, but tlya panies offered'the rate o< 2<s. Gil. A-ballot as to whether this rate should be accepted 'was'taken, and, although, tlio result has not been declared, it is generally understood that ihc'mcrTdecidcd against, acceptance. "Now the companies liavo renewed, tbeir last offer, and/again • reused to grant nil tho other concessions uemanded by the unions. .••,': ; ' Mr. Rcardon "Does not Caro to Express i .Opinions.-.'.." Asked if be had anything to-say about tho new state' of things last evening, Mr. Kcanlon, secretary of tho SlaUghternar.s Union, said that lie .to express opinions.about.it.,.He added that ho was njdvisins the ■•unions by telegraph of, tho ■ result of tho meeting,, and that .notice to ecaso .work.had by tho .men in-ull .the, works in Wellington .province, Hawko's Bay, Poverty. Tarahaki. This notice would take effect on tho date of expiry of the current awards, .on January. 31. : .. , IN OTHER PLACES. . ' (By^Tclcsraph.—Press, Association.)

1 .Chnstchurch, January 17. The slaughtermen are working as usual,, at the old rate.: • The agreement expired last night, ■ and thero .will not.be a stoppage" of work without lietice.'.', .. Representatives of the freezing. companies aro conferring in- Wellington. Ihe impression, hero is that ■ the Canterbury companies are willing to pay tho advanced rate., Both, companies and-tho. union decline to make- statements at/this'stage.

:., ;.''.'. .■" Timaru, January 17. ' Mr. Hcnnessy, secretary: of the. Smithfield Slaughtermen's' Union, informed a "Post"' reporter this afternoon .that his iinion .had given notice .tor'ceaso work. The men will "down tools" on.-January.29. Mr. Hennessy said ho'was speaking only for his own union, 'and-could.say nothing for tho •'other unions which might or might not come out at'theirown'pleasure.

Waitara/January 17. , ■'. The' butchers employed at' tlio Waitar.i Freezing Works gavo notice to-day that they would cease work on January 30.' , Gisborne, January 17. A telegram received'here by the Slaughtermen's Union, from .an: official labour source states.that the;'Wcnganui Freezing Company (Mostcrton) has conceded the moil's demand'l'of 305..

(By Mcgraph.—Special Oorrcepondonrt.) ■■' ■■'■•, •' MastertonjJanuaryH7.' The slaughtermen. ..at the Wamgawa meat works to-day gavo. notice of their intention to ceaso' work ton January '31. It'is not yet known'what attitude will bo taken-up by tho directors of' the company. .Meanwhile large drafts of sheep aro coming forward, and buyers hayo not yet discontinued buying. "..,','.'. . .

'•'.■.■'' MEN & THEIR WORK! : ■'UNION SECRETARY'S REMARKS. V .(By .Telegraph— Press Association.) ..- - ; '.'• ' . Christchurch, January 17. ' In ah interview to-day, ■ Mr. C. Were (secretary of tho 'Canterbury Slaughtermen's Union) made a statement.in connection with .the. slaughtermen's dispute. He ('said: "Forniai notice was given on Wednesday, January 14, of our intention to.ccaso work, under Clause 9of tho Act, tho.principal dqmarfil being for 30s. per . 100. ■ That' notico expires on Tuesday, January 28, when work will, be stopped, unlossynir requests, aro agreed to." . Continuing, Mr. Were said: "The .slaughtermen consider that their labour is well worth tho price demanded, and that 6d. worth of coppers-is worth Gd., without tolling into consideration tho dangers of cuts and poisoning. Last year ono man lost seven weeks' work' through blood poisoning. He was not able to kill again without assistance, but ho got lighter employment. Others lost two or three weeks' work. Two years ago .a man lost tho uso of his. hands permanently, and others had fingers amputated. The men admit that they get a bit of compensation, but contend that it amounts to very' compared to the pay in tho busy 'time, because tho compensation is calculated over, the average.of short days as well as long days. Farmers say. that slaughtermen.can earn.2ss. per day, and the men admit that they do that on soiv.e days, but a slaughterman has to live all tho year round. "The biggest amounts drawn-Lift year insCantcrburv. were:—Belfast, J;115; Islington, JdtUj Fairfield, XnO; Sinithfio'd. JtlU; Percora, J!11G. These were the . highest amounts drawn by men forhin-

atp enough not to receive cuts or blood poisoning, and so lose taino, "If these aro • tho highest amounts," Mr. Were proceeded, "whero does tho average man come inP ,At one works alono in Canterbury thero wero ten subscription lists passed round to assist those who had lost time through nccidcnts.\ Every slaughterman is liablo to theso accidents, '.' and in addition, farmers admit that it is anything but pleasant work being shut up in. a hot slaughterhouse, especially on a. day like Tuesday last. It is worth 255, to .stay in thero for one day like that without doing-265. worth of work. Tho season lasts about eight months in Canterbury. In'tho slack tiino some can cot other employment, but the position is this: The works close down in tho very worst time of, tho year—tho end"of July or the beginning of August—when tho labour market is overflowing with 'out of works.' , Some go '-to Australia, but, by the time,' they pay their board there, and their passage money, etc., they havo to earn about J!3s' in-expenses before they get anything for themselves. If a mon is unfortunate, enough to, get a cut or poisoning ho does not cam oven .£35. ,So, taking one- consideration with another, slaughtermen. have arrived at the conclusion that at lcastin living wage, must bo got. Here tho companies earn their dividends in eight months, and'the slaughtermen say: 'Wo must.make our year s living- in tho, same time.' Tho employers admit that it is most laborious work, and. they: also admit the dangers connected therewith by the fact that insurance premiums for slaughtermen aro 50 per,cent, higher.than in other occupations. Therefore slaughtermen,, consider their demands fair and reasonable. Somo farmers say that this is.,an annual, recurrence, and thejr may as well fight now as at any other time, Tho slaughtermen say, 'Wo want 80s., and wo won't be satisfied until'wo get it,'" _•■ '