DAIRY EMPLOYEES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2701, 22 February 1916, Page 8

DAIRY EMPLOYEES

DEMAND FOR HIGHER WAGES CONFERENCE IN PAHIATUA. A representative conference of directors of, tlic: dairy companies, in _ the Pahiatuadistrict was held .at Pahiatua on Saturday afternoon. ■ The meeting was convened by. Mr. -A. ■ • M'Farlaiie, chairman Xofttho. Ballanco Dairy .;.Gom-. pany," which* company. ..received oertain- demands through the -Now Zealand Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Union; from the Dairy Employees' Union. The union states that it feels sure'the company 'will recognise the reasonableness of tjie new rates and terms set out, -and''will "readily agree to the proposals. In the case of tho creamery- managers the proposed rate might ■ seem -high, but the union states, that the wages paid ton years ago, ' when butter-fat was 0(1. and which has now risen to Is. 4d. have not been altered. Tho union proposed an open conference Of employers and union representatives -'at Masterton on Tuesday .morning. It is asked that tho agreement' be for . a period of two years. The demands include a bathroom to bo provided in eacfrfactory and free accommodation for dairy workers to be approved by the Health Department and; union representative. The working : horns to he ten a day, a day off in each week to employees; all who work through the season to be paid for hot less . than one . holiday on full pay; should a-' worker b6 engaged and-work only part of tho.. season through the employer shorten-: Ing lands, such worker to be entitled to not less than one month's holiday on full pay; should a worker leave his . employment after working two months he shall be entitled to not less than two weeks' holiday on full pay. The wages .claimed are: Creamery manager, £3 10s. per week; butter factories, first assistant £3 os., second £3. casuals £2 155., engine-driver ■£$; cheese factories, first assistant £3 os., sccond £3, ca'suals . £2 15s"., 'engine-driver £3 os. xhe office of thej:lunlon to be the; employment Wreauy'-at which a register of all members of the union shall be kept. If any employor shall engage any worker who shall not be a member of the union, and who within a fortnight after his engagement 6hall not become and remain a member of the union, the employer shall dismiss such worker from, bis service if requested by tho union, . provided that there is then a member ' of the iihion equally qualified to perform ■ the particular work to he done , and ready and willing .to undertake same. The provisions of the foregoing clause; 7*stall 'operate only <- if and so' long as the rules of the union shall permit'any worker to. bccorno a. member of tho union- without ballot or other election. - - Each employer, within one month of the coming into operation of the agreement, is to furnish a com-" plete list of persons in his employment covered by the-agreement. . It was reported ,-that'"one or two•cheese factories had sinoe received a copy of; the demands. Strong exception was taken to tho preference of- unionists' clause,-and the chairman also objected, to the demands by the Dairy Employees' Union being cloaked under the Agricultural and Pastoral Workers' Union, and he said the matter would probably be fought out ■ in the; Arbitration Court. -

Olio delegate thought that the present arrangement which had been . in vogue for this-past five, years, should' continue until the end of the war, at any rale. . This- was,not tbe.tjme tolling the demands on.- ■ ■ - * The .'chairman stated that ono, com- : pany.waa at present paying above the award rate.. The opinion was also ex-pressed-that the dairy factory employees in this part appeared to be satisfied

with tlic existing arrangement,; Moreover, they did not desire a union run by outsiders, some of them having had unsatisfactory experience of this ui Tarauaki, and the union secretary who visited some factories in this part had, according to reports, {iot received a very good reception, lb was contended that the small- creameries would be penalised, that they might have to close down, and that would mean homd separation, which was not viewed with favour, no supply being so clcan as that going direct from the supplier to the creamery. The weekly holiday demand was also objected, to, the experience at present being that this . arrangement does-not work- well. 'It was considered better to -give'-a holiday afc the'end of the".season/...The'derannd thnt a worker who only ; wovked .two months should recoivo two weeks' holiday on full pay Avas considered outrageous. The chairman and Messrs. 1. J. Marriott (Tararua Cheese Factory) and J. B. Rose (Mnngatamokii Cheese Factory) were appointed delegates to the conference at Masterton-

Never has the demand for clear-headed constructive thinking in business been bo urgent'tis it is right now. We are living in a progressive age, and must take advantage of all up-to-date methods It is in savings from waste of any description that money is made 'to-day, and by concentrating one's efforts on all details of our business we claim to bo able to produce results for our many cream suppliers. We want more cream. Can you Supply 11s? Further particulars, Wangauui Fresh Food Co. —Advt.

There has been a sreat demand for the celebrated Victor cheese vat during the ;.past few months; anyone requiring new „vats are urged to write immediately to ,'the maker, as material is extremely i'short. Albert J. Parton, Carterton.—Adri.