SHEARERS' CLAIMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3099, 1 June 1917, Page 7

SHEARERS' CLAIMS

SffAMFESTO ISSUED BY A;P.U.

ATTITUDE OF THE SHEEPOWNERS' FEDERATION

Th 6 executive of tha Agricultural and pastoral Work'ers' Union yesterday isjeued the following manifesto to tho mcmI tiers of the organisation :— |. _ On account of tho sheepowners declinjjmj to meet shearers' and shed hnnds' representative's and print-blank Tefusin? to come to any agreement, we arc again appealing- to you to stand ioyal in obiain(ing tho following.rates of pay:—

i i-.P.V. SHEARERS' DEMANDS. •I. Tho rato for shearing l>v hand or machine shall to not less than .CI 7s.

fid.'por 100, with rations. 1 8. The rato for shearing Bind shoop, double-fleeced sheep, rams or ram stags shall bo double ordinary rales. '8. All sheep to bo free from dags before . . being brought into tho.6hcd. "■ The rato for crutching,, by hand or machine, shall bo not less than (is. per 100 for prutching. and 7s. for crutching and wigging, or Jil ; per day and found, in each case, ft. That experts shall be paid .£•) per week lip to 12 shearers and ,C(i per \ week for over 12 shearors, with travelling expenses both ways.

'A.P.TJ.SHED HANDS'DEMANDS. 13. That the' rate for shed hands shall he ■ J23 per week and found, irrespective •• of age or sex; Trot in Maori ehetls in Hawks's Bay and.Gisborne, wher© an hourly rate has been the custom, shed hands shall bo paid at the rate of not less than Is. (Id. per hour and found. '2. That the rato for wool-pressing 6hall be not less than -£i per week, 2s. per •bale, or 3d. per owt. -. 15. Cooks 6hall receive M per week for .' 20 men or under, -C 5 per week for between 20 and SO men, and for over 30 men £6 per week, and found, in eaoh case. Cooks' assistants shall be 'provided Tyhere there are 20 men and over, and such assistant shall bo paid not less than ,£3. per week and found. > Mr. C. Grayndlcr, the secretary |of tho tt.P.TJ., made a statement yesterday to a 'Domimos reporter regarding tho negotiations, for a conference between representatives of ' tho Sheepowners' • Federation land the delegates of the Shearers' Association. He stated that on behalf of the Nassociation ho wrote, to the secretary of 'rthe Sheepowners' Federation (Mr. F. 11. .Labatt) on March .6, asking for a conference for the discussion' of wages and 'conditions in tho shearing industry.' In the course of his reply Mr. Labatt wrote: "I am instructed to 'state that ; our federation cannot agree to meet tho delegates of the New Zealand A-.P.U., since that body is not registered under ; fhe - Conciliation and Arbitration Act, land no binding agreement can. bo niade ,wjth it." Mr. Labatt added that the would be willing to meet tho 'delegates of the Shearers' Union, registered under the Act, provided that the ■'unions were representative of the shearers. The federation did not think it 'would be possible to maka arrangements ■covering the coming season, 6ince the war made all the conditions uncertain. In \the course of further correspondence •the 6ecretaTy of the Sheepowners' Federation repeated that the federation would consent to meet only delegates appointed I to' represent the Shearers' Unions. The federation would, "require, to be satisfied that tho delegates .'had been appointed ■:by, and did.ropresent, such unions." A final communication from the •secretary ;.of the federation, after a date had".been ifixed for tho conference, stated: "I pre- . sumo the delegates-will bo furnished with evidence that the'representatives of tho various unions have been duly elected." Mr.'Grayndlcr stated that his association contended that delegates appointed by the executive of the Shearers' Association wero properly representative of tho -Shearers' Unions. ,Th« Sheepowners' Federation adhered to its original decision to confer only .with direct rcprescn•fatives of tho "unions.-

AUSTRALIAN SHEARERS | A MISLEADING WARDING. Anotico published, in tho Australian "Worker" warns, Australian shearers not to como to New Zealand, and- states inaccurately that they will bo iiablo hero for' military sen-ice. "Owing to tho stringent -war regulations. in New 1 Zealand, at the present time," runs the notice, "shearers aro warned against pro- ' Deeding to that., country until aftor tho war. Apart from rendering themselves .liable to any future ballot for military service, shearers from Australia, aro virtually depriving their comrades in Now Zealand of employment, as the pastoraljsts of that country prefer to'employ 'Australian shearers in order that the homo shearers may ho released for military service." .'•'■■ Tho suggestion that Australian shearers coming to New Zealand for work would he liable to military service- is ontirely inaccurate. The visiting shearer retains his. Australian citizenship, and does not como> within tho scope, of the Military Service. Act at all. Ho is not a: member of tho Expeditionary Force! Roferve. This fact has boon mado nuito clear by- the military authorities and by the -Military Service Boards. -