ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2543, 18 August 1915, Page 9

ARBITRATION COURT

BACON WORKERS' DISPUTE. The sittings of the Arbitration Court were continued yesterday morning, before His Honour Mr. Justice ••Stringer, Mr. J. A. M'G'ullough (employees' representative), and Mr. K Duthie (employers' representative). The Wellington Bacon Factory Workers' Dispute was heard, Mr. W. A. W. Grenfell appearing for the employers, and Mr. E. Kennedy for the union. Mr. Grenfell addressed tlie Court and gave reasons why an award should not bo made. The industry, ho said, was not a progressive one, and it would interest tlie public to know that bacon was *nov,' clieapor than before th> war. But in addition to that, the price of pigs was higher than before the war, and the price of certain materials was also higher to tho curers. ' His Honour pointed out that the Court recently mads an award in Christchurch ; he would have thought, in view of that, that an' agreement would have been arrived at. Mr. Grenfell: There aro differences existing between this and the South Island. It was decided to go on with tie hearing, Mr. Kennedy advanced the union's claims. A 44-hour week was asked, ut the ■undermentioned rates:—Head preserver, .£5 per week; assistant, Is-. Gd. por hour; all other workers in the department, Is. 'Id. per hour. Curing department: Head curer, £i-, assistant, Is. Bd. perjiour; all other workers, Is. 4d. Freezing department: Leading- hands, Is. Bd.' per hour; other workers, is. sd. The' other departments corresponded, Is. 4d. per hour being the minimum wage. Apprentices were put at from ill to .£2 per week. Time and a half was asked for overtime, for the first two hours, and double time after that. The amended counter proposals of the employers offered the following minimum wage:—Freezing chamber work, Is. 3d. per hour; tinsmiths, Is. 3d. per hour; all other workers, Is. lid. per hour; youths, from 13s. to 40s. Overtime at the rate of ■time and a quarter for the. first four hours, and time and a half thereafter was offered. Preference was objected to, and hours of wo'rk to be in accordance with the provisions of the Factories Act. After railing evidence, Mr. Kennedy contended that the industry was a flourishing one. He put in figures to. show that in the Wellington district for the six months, January-June, 1!)15, 3547 more pigs were killed than in the same period of the previous year. Mr. Kennedy said that tho dispute was with the Wellington Bacon Factory (Messrs. Dimock and Co.), but the employers had compelled them to join all the other bacon factories in the district as parties to the dispute. Mr. Grenfell contended that an injustice would be done if an award was made to apply only-to Messrs. Dimock and Co. lie held that there was not sufficient need for an award. One effect of tin award might bo that instead of giving permanent work, tho employers might be com-' pelled to dispense with their men for a period of tho year. The Court took tiine to consider the case. . London Bridge has been burnt down six times.