MEAT STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1658, 27 January 1913, Page 5

MEAT STRIKE.

MASTERTON COMPANY GIVES WAY. AGREES TO PAY 30/-, VIEWS OF THE CHAIRMAN. TERMS OF AGREEMENT. (By Telegraph—Special Correspondent,) Masterton, January 28. A conference between three directors of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company and Messrs. M. J. Reardon and J, Bishop, representing the Slaughtermen's, Union, was held here on Saturday afternoon, and lasted from 3ip.ni. to 6.30 p.m. As ft result of the conference, the terms of agreement were decided upon. These provide for the payment to slaughtermen of 30s. l>er hundred for the. slaughtering of sheep, and lambs, and 2s. Gd, per head for cattle. The other conditions agreed upon are practically tho same as those which have previously existed with tho company. The agreement "will commence as from Thursday next, and will bo for a period, of three years, and it will probably bo registered under the Arbitration and Conciliation. Act at a later date, 1 Statement by Chairman of Directors. In an. interview Mr. J. C, Cooper, chairman of directors of the oompany, stated that the agreement had been approved by the directors of the company' as a body. Tho general conditions were very little different from those that;form-, erly existed, excepting in rates of pay.' Mr. Cooper said the company was in such a position financially that it could have closed the works for. the next ten months without very serious financial embarrassment. The increase of wages from 27?. fid., offered by the other-companies, t<( 305., which this company had agreed to pay, meant a difference of about ,£2OO fof the remainder'of. the season. Had'-the works been closed, tho loss-to the district WouI(l represent many thousands, to say nothing |of the loss of wages to , other employees, amounting possibly to .£15,000, It was these facts, and particularly-' the position, 1 of the sellers, that had influenced , the directors in their decision. Mr, Cooper stated that his, company-did not propose slaughtering' $tock for 'clients' of:other compares. ' •

.The Agreement. ' v. The precise agreement arrived at is as follows:—Ordinary hours of work to be between 7.80 o'clock and 5 p.m. on five days of the week, with 0110 hour for lunclr between 12 and 1 o'clock, 'On/ Saturdays work shall cease not later than U noon, and. provision is made for '15 minutes .smoko." Bates for sheep'and lambs, or sheep and lambs, not. otherwise specified, shall bo 30s. per ' huudredj double fleece sheep 375. 6d.; rams and stags other than ram lambs Cd. each; dead sheep or lambs Is. • per heads no pheep or.lambs to be pressed with long 6hanks;-and no daray sheep l or lambs to be killed. Rates for cattle are to be:— •Bullocks and cows, 2s. Cd; per head; bulls, 2s. Gd.j'all bulls.to.be chopped,'and soft sided, otherwise double rates to be paid; calves ti» j taloQlb..>ls. Gd, per head; over lOOlb. and up to 2001b., 25.; over 2001b. ai beef *ates; all dead, cattle done at the works to bp paid for at' the rate of '7s. 6d. each. . •

■Rates;'for killing pi ga are as follow s-. Up.tj 1201b,, Is. ,- from 1201b. to 2001b., Is. Gd-i otin 2 l 01b ;, to 2201b " 23,; all TVQighta over 2201b., 2s. Cd. . . tt ; i? ■ mado for - 15 .- minutes _ smokei , at as nearly as. possible "9.45 in tha forenoon, and 3 o'clock in the 7 afternoon,, tho head butcher to be empowered to vary the time for a quarter of an hour either way. Overtime shall*be paid for at thei rate of time and 'a half, and not more than .ono hour-, overtime' per day to bo worked; no overtime to be worked on paturqays unless a public holiday occurs during the week, when overtime may bo, worked at the rate of timo and. a quarter! Waging time is also to be paid for. It is agreed that slaughtermen shall wait fifteen minutes in the event of a "out Put.' o»t if required to wait longer they shall, bo paid at tho rate of 2s. : 6d. per hour for all suoh timo. If a man arrives at work without receiving notioe that i thers is to bo no killing, he ehall Bs. per waiting timo. - Mutton .butchers' duties are set out as follow:—Kill, take out tongues, take .'off shanks, and skin (including picco on head), sever wool pieces, take insddes out, wipe and put on strings, no string to' bo used .twioe. Slaughtermen shall bo allowed to out the wool liieco up or down as they please. • ■' ' ■: .;'. Beef Butchers aro to stun or pith the animal, bleed, and tako, tha liead off, hoist from the ground, tako off, skin, and take tail off, take inside out, take out kidneys, ptrip caul, wipe and clean, divide into sides, saw rump, and saw from second joint on -lob to > fourth rib from neck. Cattle to bo put in pens by employers. > learners arp to bo dealt'with as follows in the new agreement: Each learner shall bo provided with a hook. Learners shall bo employed in such proportion to slaughtermen that there shall not be .more than ono learner to each'ten slaughtermen, or fraction of ten slaughtermen. Labourers pliall bo, giyen preference as learners. Learners capable of killing .and dressing eight sheep or lambs perhoyr for freezing' purposes to the- satisfaction of. tho foreman butcher shall be classed as. competent slaughtermen, and shall, be 'transferred' from the learners' class. ■ It-is., provided that not moro than' onp ■ set of learners shall be'allowed to work in a shed'in any one season. Learners shall be! paid for slaughtering done by them, and' at - not less than the rates specified,in this agree, ment. Each learner must be a member of a union' affiliated with the New Zealand Slaughtormen's Federation. The federation shall not fine or in any \ypy penalise any member thereof for 'becoming 'a learner under tho provisions of this agreement, or for teaching any such learner ip accordance yrith the said provisions, Nq beef butchers shall be allowed to employ labourers,;. , ' •. *

Holidays are agreed upon os follow:— Recognised holidays to be Neiy Tear's Day, Boxjng Day, King's Birthday, Gfood Friday, Easter Monday, and Labour Day; two other holidays to boarrange'd in the month of November in each year'to meet local requirements, All work' done 'on any pf tho above-named holidays, or of! Sundays, shall be paid for at double rates. '; Preference, of employment shall 'be giyen to niopibers of the Now Zealand Slaughtermen's Bedpratjon, ~pr affiliatfd unions. ■ . , ' '

Any member ivho i? appointed fia -a foreman, or, tp any otlior position , of trust, shall ccase to become a .member o! tha union. TJnrter" the- hepding of ''general," ig provided that not more than ona ?lsiigliterinan shall be engaged on faoh hopje in. jsach shed, and not inoro than two men are to work in anb pen, In the event of a man meeting with a.n accident, the employer shall have to tempera* ily fill the vacancy. ' . ' : ■ ■\Yflge? shall be paid weekly, tw<i days' "lje time" to be allowed.. j Drinking-water shall bo provided on tlif> board, and boiling water is to be supplied for- ranking hot drinks. Employers s]ial! provide also a mpdioine chest and bandages on tho works (or board), for slaughtermen, Provision is made als9 for grind-stones for tho exclusive use of "killers" in proportion of ono in iwonty. With regard to the covering of sheeppens, that work is to be done, as is also tho provision of bathing and dressing accommodation for tho men, before any other improvements are effected at tho works.