MEAT STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1669, 8 February 1913, Page 5

MEAT STRIKE.

COLLAPSE OF IT IN SIGHT,

FREE MEN READY.

LOCAL WORKS CERTAIN TO RE-OPEN.

It seems almost safe to announce now that tho end of tho meat strike, or of tho effectiveness of it, i 8 in sight. Such, at any rato, is the opinion of tho heads of tho two Wellington companies. Already there havo been many applications for work on tho killing boards in response to tho companies' advertisements of yesterday, and tho men offering are all men who have had experience in killing and dressing sheep. The number of applications received to dato has exceeded expectations, and there is no longer any doubt that at least ono of the companies will open their works somo day next week. 'Already there are reports, well authenticated, that somo of tho slaughtermen on strike are becoming restive, and anxious to get back to work. Indeed, it is said that tho executive of tho union- is now prepared to settle for 28s. Gd. per hundred, but in view, of recent events tliero is no likelihood of their getting any advance of tho offer'already mcde to them, 275. Gd. It is confidently oxpeoted that somo, at loast, of tho union men will be back on tho boards oithcr'on tho day that works open or soon afterwards. An anteresting; problem presents itself to tho butchers now, Tho companies aro in honour bound, and in fact havo actually agreed, to keep, on tho men who oamb to their rescue, even if tho union should capitulate. This means that some men will bo permanently out of work. And' it will mean that thero will 'bo so many men tramed_ m tho killing trade that employers will be able, to uispenso with tho services of tlio itinerant butchers from Australia, who are reported to havo been the chief disturbers of industrial peace in tho freezing industry. . \ ■ It is a very important matter for tho community that tliero should bo greater assurance of stability in tile industry which provides one of our chief export products. In tho year ending March 31 last tlio exports of. frozen , meat and the values of the several classes wero as follow:—. Jl Frozen beef . 250,801 ; Frozen mutton 1,151,139 Frozen lamb ............... 1,750,250 Legs and pieces, 40,155 A total of 3,198,131. , In addition to this a largo' percentage of the export of hides, skins, and tallow should lio credited to the frozen meat industry, to say nothing of-canned meats anu slipo wool. The value of tho hides exported last year was ,£159,835; skins, JCGrO.-lO?; tallow, <£5GG,373. - Already' it is certain 1 that these figures will not .bo equalled this year, whereas if tlio season had gono on without'interruption they would almost, certainly liavo been exceeded. Prices wero high; and the season was a good one. • .'A meeting of tho Freezers' Union is to be held on Monday, .when,, presumably, the aotion of tho men in tho event of tho sheds re-opening will be, determined. CANTERBURY WORKS. ■ (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Christchurch, February 7. Although tlio local meat-freezing com. panies aro not yet in a position to announce tho dote upon which slaughtering operations will 'begii} at their "larger works, tho situation appears to be moro hopeful than it has been'for eomo timo past, Applications from men, to man the killing boards aro-icoming" in fairly satisfactorily, though it is question-, able how long it will bo before tho applications reach tho number that will' warrant tho beginning of operations. News from Marlborough is to the effect that there is every likelihood : ,of tie Picton works starting next week, and it is understood that slaughtering operations at tho Burnside works, Olago, may bo also started next week. . .'

Tho arrival at an agreement between tho companies and tlio slaughtermen's assistants removes 0110 complaint from the situation. Members of tlio Freezing Works Union do not 6pcak enthusiastically regarding tho basis upon which tho agreement has been reached—in faot they doscribe the agreement as a bad brio,' though admitting that it is tho best that' ;could bo arrived'at.in the circumstances. The fact that they have accepted tho agreement 6omewhat discounts their ob-jections-to it. The basis upon which the union desired' slaughtermen's assistants to be'paid 75 per cent, of tho highest tally of tho best slaughtermen was an extraordinary one,'and was not considered a fair- one from'the point of viow of .tho companies. Tho rato of pay agreed upon (Is. 2Jd. per hour) is practically an increase of 10 per cent, on the rato previously ruling. It is noteworthy that tne terms offered by tho companies to tho slaughfcer'men (275. Gd, per 100) is.also alO per cent, incrcaso on tho rato previously .paid, but, whereas the slaughtermen's assistants have agreed to an incrcaso of 10 per cent.: inj order (probably) to ensure industrial peace, tho slaughtermen are holding out for 80s. per 100, or a 20 per cent, increase. With reference to a statement raising doubts as to the legality of tho re-regis-tration of slaughtermen on the ground that tho members of the now union are not at present "employed" by. an .employer. Mr. C. Were (secretary of the union) told a reporter that 60 far from tho application being out of order, it had been made on behalf of men .who had not ceased work. Thcro were twenty-four slaughtermen in the old Canterbury Union who had not ceased work, but had ■been kept on to slaughter for shops for local consumption. Nineteen members of the old union wore, in fact, at present employed at the city abattoir.; Only fifteen workers, in any case, ate required to ronder the application valid, and tho application must therefore bo in order. Mr. l Wero added, with a smile, that ho, was , awaiting the next question by tho employers. Mr. Were has sent a telegram to the Deputy Registrar 'of ■ industrial unions embodying the statement madofor publication. FREEZING WORKS UNION. COMPACT WITII EMPLOYERS. , ChrlstchUrch,.February 7.-, The conference between representatives Of tho Canterbury Freezing Workers' Union and of tlio Cliristchurch and Canterbury Fro»en Meat Companies, which owned yesterday, was concluded to-day, wlien the parties arrived at an agreement in respect to tho union's demands. Steps'will bo-taken at onco to nloko tlio agreement au instrument of tho Court of Arbitration. Mr. F. C. Kills, secretary of tho union, supplied a reporter with the following particulars of tho agreement by the parties:— Eight hours are to constitute a day's work, which is to bo regulated by slaughtering operations, all hours worked beyond eight shall Ix> considered oyertimo, and shall bo paid «t tho rato of timo and a quarter for tho first two hours, and time and a half afterwards.

Hates Of_ pay for assistants ore to Ixi 03 followi—Eighteen years of ago mid over. Is, 2jd. per hour. ft 011 any dtiv workers nro ordored to commonco worlt. and if tho work done 011 that day shall bo loss thnn four hours, workers snail, nevertheless, bo paid as if they had worked four hours 011 that day. Employment of youths—From' 14 to 13 years: 15 to 10 years, 175.! 16 to 17 years, 205.; 17 to 18 years, 255. I Holidays will bo the saino na for slaughtermen. When tho holiday falls on a. Sunday,'tho following Monday Bhivll ho observed. No slaughtering for export is to bo done oil holidays or Sundays, but. on Eastfcr Monday, Jong's Birthday, and Boxmj Hay, employers shall bo ftt liberty to employ such of their employees as they requiro for a. lwriod- of four hours for tho purpose of slaughtering stock for local consumption only, and shall, receive timo and a half for such work. ' AVajics nro to bo paid fortnightly, two davs "lie timo" to bo allowed. Tho usual undor-rato workers' claiiso is iucludod in tho agreement. Aa to prefcronco, employers may employ any, worker th*T ohooto woviaed uat,

within one week of tlio date of his on- " gagomeut, a worker eliall liccomo mul re- . 1 main a member of tho union. - ■ "Smoko-oh"—fifteen minutes morning' < and afternoon, without deduction from -i ' tho men's pay. . : : j Ample dressing-rooms nnd lavatory nocommodation ai-c io bo provided. There . is to bo an equal distribution of work in , 3 each department. Gum-boots, aprons. , ! overalls, and legging aro to Ijo supplied to workers who require tlicm by tlio em- ; 1 ployors. ~ ;' 'i It is undosrtood that tho agreement will bo for a term of throo years. ' j UNCOMPLIMENTARY. J TO NORTH ISLAND BUTCHERS. ;'j Christchurch, February. G. j Speaking to a gentleman who. has just \ como down from tlio North Island,' rfnd who has a good kuowlcdgo of the frozen ■ J meat trade at Home, a reporter was told that tlio' present crisis was not an un- : j mixed evil. So far as tho North Island ' ■ t Was concorned, it was doubtful if tlio work dono on tho'North Wand killing . boards had over beenas good as'it might and should be, and it was certainly not •! as good as work dono in tho Argentine. " s tho carcasses from which country , bettor at-Homo than tho North ' Island stuff. Tho northern butchers had got into ■ a groove, in their, slaughtering, methods, . j and it was not possiblo for tho companies ' ■ ' to get old hands to learn better, for they 'j resented any'attempt to mako.- them do boiler work. Now that tho oompanios j imd brand-now labour, and they could • i teach,new men to do work that was moro j Hi tho Canterbury style, tho. proper dress- 4 Tng of North Island' meat, which was : ! sometimes very rough at present, would . bo an important thinp, for it would mean . that an increased prico would bo got for it, and it was much moro likely to at- • .>4 tract tho Home buyer. Ho believed that . 6omo Df tho North Island butchors caused trouble when they got on. to Iwards m Canterbury. They would start oft in their North Island style, but soon had i tho 'Ixtss" ou to them, for their methods !; did not suit Canterbury at all. In some cases ho had hoard that 6omo northern -J butchers had dono such indifferent work 1 that they had to ba limited .to ft certain M number of sheep .when they started .in tho 1 south.. . 1 1. :, ■ FREE MEN IN HAWKE'S BAY. , Hastings, February 7. • 1 There is littlo fresh; to report as far j as tho local works aro concerned, Tho work is proceeding at a satrisfaotory rate,. ; and tho new slaughtermen aro boooming , J moro expert, tho result being that the tallies aro improving daily. Twelve men <■ got through 200 sheep lat Pnki Paki yes- . .1 torday, and it was l estimated that 200 will be put through again to-day.- A minimum « j wago of 10s. per day is being paid until s tho mon aro able to record , better tallies. Applications aro still Mining in from- all ■ 1 over tho district.. . .. - I . Twenty-eight : hooks . were occupied at • • Tomoana yesterday, and tho worlc, con- , , tinued at a vory satisfactory pace. Thirty- ' ; i butchors wore on tho board this morning, ,1 including ono or twß who have been."top- ,] riotehers in their, of tlio strikers resumed work this morning. . Most of the strikers have takon em- . •ploymontJu tho surrounding district at.;..;! harvesting, or any work wliich thoy were . able to obtain; ,They are. still confident 1 ' ; '!j thai the companies :, will givo way. MR. REARDON REFUTED. • ' Hastings, February 7. 1 In regard to a statement by Mr, Rear* j don that the federation was in negotin-, 1 tion with a largo buyer in tho North Island who was prepared to grant tho, 5 men's full, demands, a reporter was • in-. , formed on the best authority that tlio : , ,1 works in Hawke's Bay havo no,such ai> 1 rangoment with any buyer; as implied 1 by Mr. Reardon, and that it is-not tlio i practic© in tho managomont. pf tlio. works ( w accept oontract9 of that natuto without, , j a strike clause. :... .1 HANDLING FREE .MEAT. j . Tlmaru, February 7, .| local wateraiders state that they hav# ; had no word from tho Federation of La- ; bour about supporting slaughtermen (who. j are riot Federationists) and the secretary . j does not anticipate such,instructions. In -i tho.absence or 6UOII instrufctfotis the men > would riot scruple to handlo free labour meat. The' Gisborne watersiders, ho . , states, are on a' different footing, unfcdcratcd. , , '. ' ' WAITARA WORKS. 1 | ' . \ Now Plymouth, February..7, ''.j Borthwick's Waitara freezing works re«» ; sumed killing this morning, with sir . ;; men on tho board. Mr. W.' Borthmck ! says lio Is well satisiiod with;their work, :.,j and will havo no troublo in filling tho _ beards. ■ "> ■ ' " ■:'y PRECAUTIONARY NOTICE. Christchurch, February 7. . The Slaughterers' Union has informed ,■■■:> the City Council that no slaughtering will • ■ j bo done at tho abattoir for Miling-down , J purposes. Tho notioo is a ; ono, tho council riot undertaking ATOrk of ; this clo6S. . ■ .'' . .. LONOBURN , REBTARTINQ. Palmerston North, February 7. The Longburn Freezing: Works are ro« j starting on Monday with a full- board of .. frco laoourers. :1 . i •