FLAXMILLERS' WAGES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 201, 20 May 1919, Page 8

FLAXMILLERS' WAGES

•• NOTICE OF CANCELLATION OP ,• " AGREEMENT.' By Tolegraph-Presi Association. Palmerston North, May 19. As a prelude to the general resumption of, the, ilnxrailling industry in the Mana-watu-district and'their'intention to'reviso.tho wages at present paid to employees, the New Zealand tflaxmillers' Association has given notice to the Manawatu Flaxmills' Employees' Union of its intention to cancol tlio agreement dat&cl December 4, 1917, respecting wages and conditions of employment. The agreement was substituted for the award, which is still in force, but, not in operation. Tho men are at present being paid from Is. Gd. to ss. per day more than the award stipulates. In Labour circles it is stated that any attempt to cut down wnges will be met with strong-opposition on the jiart of tho men.

/' Inquiries made to-day among members of the. Flaxmiilers' Association go to show that the employers cannot see their way,clear to maintain the present high rate of wages, which it -is ' pointed out was never intended should remain in force forjill time. The rate of wages under the agreement was fixed while the prices ruling for t!ie fibre were very high;" being then about JEGS per 'ton, f.0.b., Wellington. The price has now fallen to under JS3O per ton, and millers decided ;at a recent meeting that it was impossible to. continue paying the present .high rate of wages. The rate, of wages paid by_ the flax industry has been considerably in excess of that obtaining under other industries, and that it was 'understood that.this,was to bo subjected to revision • is borne out by a paragraph in the agreement between the parties, in which 'it is expressly stated that the scale of wages was agreed to on acoount of,the'high rate obtaining for fibre at ■ the time the' agreement, was made. It is further'pointed out,.on behalf of the Flaxmiilers' Association,- • that the employers do not intend to simply fall back on < the award and endeavour to bind the'men down to its provisions. Notice \vins being served on the union with tho idea of both parties entering into a new agreement,, the 6cales of wages of which would be inpTe in accordance with rates ruling for the' fibr§. A prominent tiaxmillei stated in an interview „ to-day that one thing which was helping' to keep down the local price of fibre was the excessively high shipping freights. Whereas before the war the '.rate was 81s.. per ton, plus 10 per cent;,, it had, since risen to £15' per ton, plus '10 per cent. In addition to the freight tjiere were various other chargcs ; which: ran,the cost of delivery to London iip jio nearly X2O • per ton. The flaxmillers all-felt that seeing the war hnd : now been over several months it was high .time, a substantial reduction w»3 made -in. these freights. "The fact of the inatter is," remarked .ono miller, "that the shipping companio3 are skimming .all tho cream-off the flax industry , at. the '.present scale of freights obtaining. "Even 'supposing'.'it cost the shipping companies 100 per cent, more to build during the war than it did before, .ono .trip would pay for tho cost of vessels'carrying our produce." "The union will hold a general meeting on Saturday next to consider the situation. : , . , , '