SHEARERS’ DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 134, 2 March 1921, Page 6

SHEARERS’ DISPUTE

NO SETTL2MENT IN SIGHT AUSTRALIANS NOT COMING TO DOMINION No settlement of the dispute between the New Zealand' Workers’ Union and the Sheepowners’ Federation with regard to the snearers’ demands for increased wages and improved working conditions appears to be in sight. Early hist month the shearers asked for a forty-four hour week, and pay at the rate of 355. per hundred. The sheepowners offered -21 per hundred, and this offer was declined. Mr. C. Grayndler, secretary of the Ncov Zealand \Vorkers’ Union (which includes the shearers), stated' yesterday that the men were determined not to accept work except on the basis of their own demands, which they considered to be fair and reasonable. Any further move towards a settlement of the dispute must come from tho sheepowners. Mr. S. Boreham, of Dunedin, who, with Mr. A. Cook, representing the Ijpw Zealand Workers’ Union nt a conference of the Australian Workers’ Union in Sydney last month, returned to "Wellington on Monday, and he informed a Dominion’ reporter yesterday that the affiliation of tho N.Z.W.U. with the Australian organisation was definitely affirmed at the conference. With regard to the New Zealand shearers’ dispute, Mr. Borehami stated that it was decided at the conference that no Australian slfearers would accept engagement in New Zealand until the present trouble was settled. Recently, some machineshearers had come across to the Dominion from Australia, but steps had been taken to see that no more such workers would leave for employment in New Zealand.