FREEZING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 55, 28 November 1921, Page 6

FREEZING INDUSTRY

PROVISIONS OF NEW AWARD REDUCTION IN BONUSES The Arbitration Court has filed its award in the freezing workers’ dispute. The Court has followed the 1919 basic rates, but has reduced the bonuses to per cent, for pieceworkers and to 15 per cent, for time workers. This places the workers in the freezing industry on the same footing in comparison with other workers, as existed in 1912-14 when the freezing workers secured certain advantages which they still retain under the new award; and their purchasing power is, at least, equal to what it was last / season. x

The award states that except where otherwise specified the ordinary hours of work shall bo eight (including "smokeoli”), between 7.30 a.m. and 5 p.iii. ( on five days of the week and four hours (including "smoke-oh”) between 7.30 a.m. and noou on Saturdays. Where, owing to the exigencies of the train service or in accordance with the custom prevailing heretofore at any works, slaughtermen are required to commence work before 8 a.m. overtime shall not be payable between 7.30 a.m. and 8 a.m., but in all other cases slaughtermen shall be paid overtime for all work done between 7.30 a.m. and 8 a.m.

The hours of work for freezing-cham-ber hands shall be eight hours in any twenty-four, reckoning from midnight to midnight. Overtime rates shall be paid for all time worked in excess of eight hours in each twenty-four. Provided that if men are required to work between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6 30 a.m. they shall be paid 6d. extra per hour for all hours worked 1 1 ordinary rates within that period of time. Provided further that, when a worker is required to continue working, overtime rates shall continue until he lias had a break of at least one hour for each two hours’ continuous time worked. Maximum compulsory break, eight hours. In the manure, tallow, oleo, ftrllmongory, preserving, and engineering departments, shifts may be worked to whatever extent may be necessary to cope with' th? work. Provided that in the manure department this clause shall not apply to men working on the fertiliser plant (except driers), or mixing manures, and that in 'he tellmongery department it shall apply only to men working on wool driers and their assistants and pieceworkers, and in the pelt department to the men working on fleshing machines and their assistants. For the purposes of this award a shift shall be deemed to be any consecutive eight hours in, attendance all the time, with two "smoke-ohs” and 20 minutes for a meal, or any' nine hours with two “smoke-ohs” if one hour allowed for meal,'and the work done bv men on shift shall be confined to the work of their respective departments. RATES OF PAY. Slaughtering.—All sheep) not otherwise specified, per 100, All 155.; all lambs not otherwise specified, per 100, All 12s. (id.; chow sheep and lambs, per 100, £2; all unshorn sheep niter November 30, double rates; rams and genuine stags other than ram lambs, double rates; dead sheep or dumbs when required, each Is Id.; back-set lambs, each 6d ; all cattle other than bulls and genuine stags, per head, 2s. 3d.; bulls and genuine stags, per head, 2s. 9d.; all bulls mid stags to be chopped, if sawn by hand rate and a half, all cattle it sawn bv machinery 10 per cent, •reduction on above Tates; dead cattle, when required, each- 7s. 6d.; calves up to 1301 b. per head, each Is. id.; calves 1301 b. up to 2001 b. per head, Is. Bd.; calves over ‘>oolb , cattle rates; pigs up to 1201 b. per head, Is. Id.; pigs 1201 b. and over, per head Is. Bd. The ruling of the foreman butcher as to the description of any class of stock shall be final. Slaughterhouse and Cooling Room Assistants.—Boners, after two years, per hour, 25.; boners, improvers, first V yca.t, Is. 9d.; boners, improvers, second year. Is’ 10'.d.; iloormeu, on'piecework, per 1000, 11 ss. 31d.; floormen per hour, Is. 9d ; gutmen on piecework, per 10 , 3s lOd.; gutmen on beef, per 100, lbs. 4d ; gutmen, per hour, Is. 9d.; coolingfloor hands, trimihers, general usurers, and others not otherwise stated, Is. Jd , runner off, per hour, Is. 10d.; stl ' 1 f ppc k per hour, Is. 10d.; meat grader, if not permanent, per hour, 25.; shop butcher, if not permanent, per hour, 2s. Fellmongery —Pullers, North Island, pcr 100 skins, Gs. lOld.; pullers, Marlborough and Canterbury, November to March inclusive, per dozen skin?, <Jd., April to October, inclusive, per dozen skins, Bid.; pullers, Otago, and Southland, from commencement of season to end of April, per dozen skins, i ? d.; May 1 to end-of season, per dozen skins, 8,d., skin washers, per hour, Is. ski washers on piecework: June to January, ■woolly skins, 2s. 21d.; October to January, shorn skirr, Is. 3)d.; February mid March, all skins, Is. 63d.; April and May, all skins. Is. lid. (At the Potone works tho employers shall provide labour to put skins in dolly). Skin washers, lime dollymen, painters, and trimmers, per hour, Is. 91d.; painters on piecework (to include (lagging, trimming, painting. carrying away, and cleaning down): North Island—November to March inclusive, per 109, 3s. 7d.; April to end of season, per 100, 3®. lOd.; South Island —Mallborough and Canterbury, per 100, 35.; Otago and Southland, per 100. 3s. ■ld ’; piece or pie men (piecework at per lb. on weight of dry wool): November io March, per lb., 13d., plus 10 per cent. ; after -Mm-ch, per lb., Ud„ plus 10 per cent. (The above rates are applicable where piece® are picked from a sweated heap. In nil other cases, the rates are to be agreed upon between the employer and the union, in accordance with clause 20 hereof). Wool drivers, per hour. Is. 9d.; pressers, per hour, Is. 9d.; pressers, per' bale. Is. 3d.; pressers, per bale, if power supplied. 20 per cent. less. The months specified in the case of skin wa-slmrs, on piecework Tates, shall in the case of the Canterbury Industrial District be read a.s if the references were in each case to the next succeeding month, and in the case of the Otago mid Southland Industrial District, as if tho references were in each case to tho second succeeding month. Pelt Department.—Tamers, pcr hour, Is. 91d.; flesliers, machine feeder —First three' months, per hour, Is. 9(1,; after three months' experience, per hour, Is. 91d.; piecework (including stacking, feeding. and tailing off)—On sheep, ner hundred. Is. 4(1.; on lambs, per hundred, Is. 1?d.: scudders; per hour, Is. 9(1.; scudders, piecework, per 109, Is. 10d.; scudders, piecework Lv machine, per 1(10, Is.; pelt classors and pelt-curers. per hour. 2®.; workeirs not otherwise stated, pcr hour. Is. 9d. Freezing Chamber j Hands.—Workers employed in handling frozen produce in fi'ooz.'iig rooms and cold stores, incliidinq "running in” and "loadin'.’ nut,” whether into wagons, trucks, or lighters, per hour. Is. 11d. Preserving Department.—Boners, nor hour. 2®.; tinsmiths, per hour, Is. 10ld.; second preserver, ner hour. Is. 10td.; all other ivorkers not snecifk-d, Is. 9d. Casings Department.—Four classes of Inliour shall be recognised, viz.: (a) ma-chine-feeders; (bl classers. scraper®, inensui’cr®. tank hand®, strlpner®. "Vntnien; (e) bun" hand®, ‘■nltci’'®. ami learners, and workers not otherwise specified; (d) boys. Wages: Class (a) per hour, 2s. 2d.; Class (b) per hour, 2s. Id.; Class (c\

per hour, Is. 10d.; Class (d), as elsewhere provided. Piecework Kates—Strippers, per 1090, .£1 55.; hung hands ('.bort bungs), per 1000, £1 2s. 6d.: bung hands (long bungs), per 1000, £1 7s. 6d. Manure and Tallow Department and Oleo Department.—Per hour. Is. 9d.

Hide-house. —Leading hand, per hour, Is. 9),d.: other workers, per hour. Is. 9d. Engine-room.—Greasers, firemen, cleaners, gas-producers, and trimmers, at the rate of 14®. per watch of eight hours Greasers, firemen, cleaners, gas-prodne-ers, mid trimmers shall work, if required. seven watches per week without extra payment for work done on Sundays and holidays, but sffiall, in that case receive on additional fid. per hour for the seventh watch. The workers specified in this clause, shall have an annual holiday of one week on full pay for each six months’ complete service. When engaged removing soot from flues, workers shall be paid 2s. per day e. tra, except yin Sundays, when double ordinary time shall be paid. For Foe purpose of t’his award a flue shall he deemed to extend from the firing door of boiler to foot of smoke stack, and shall not include inride of boilers or economiser caps or boiler caps. Watchmen. —Per week. £A 4s. Watch, men regularly employed as such shall wd’k, if required, seven watches ner week,'and shall l;n-- an annua] holiday of seven days for rarii six months’ complete service on full nay. The times within which they shall work shall not be governed by clause 1 hereof, and their hours shall be fifty-six per week. Overtime shall be paid on tho weekly liour® worked in excess of fifty-six hours; casual watchmen, per hour, Is. !)d. Fitting Shop, Toco. Drivers, Motor Drivers, Tlbrse Drivef-s. and otlmr trades.—The rates provided by the awards or industrial agreements governing the particular trades in the district. Where no awai'fji or industrial agreement exists. 10 per centum increase op' rates paid on December, 1. 1918. Shunters.—lf not permanent, per hour. Is. 9<l. Workers not' otherwise specified.—Per hour. Is. 9d. Employment of Youths.—Boys and youth® tip to the age of nineteen, years may be emnloyed in the proportion of one boy or youth to every three men employed in each department (bag-room excepted) at the following rate of wages per week:—Under the age of sixteen years, £1 16s. per week: between the aces of sixteen and seventeen years. £1 15s. per week: between the ages of seventeen and eighteen year®. £2 s®. pe' week; between the nees of eighteen and nineteen years, £2 15s. per week; and thereafter, tho minimum wage. Bonus—ln addition to the minimum rates prescribed (except youths) tl ere shall bo paid, unless and until , the Court shall otherwise order, the following bonus’s, namely: To time workers, a bonus of 15 per centum on the above rates, and to piece workers a bonus of 124 per 'centum on the above rates, provided that such bonuses riiall nnt he paid to those workers covered by clause 13 (fitting shop, loco., etc.), who receive the rates and bonuses (if any), provided in and by other awards or industrial agreements. OVERTIME. Except where otherwise provided all time worked in excess of the hours mentioned in any one day shall he considered overtime and shall be paid for nt the J-ate of time (or rate) and a quarter for the first two hours, and time (or rate) and a half thereafter. On Si.turdav afternoon time (or rote) and a quarter shall be paid for all time worked between 12 noon and 1 n.m. and time (or rate) and fl half thereafter. No overtime rates shall b® paid to pullers for piecework except for work done on Sundays and holidays as specified in clause' 19 of this award, which ®hall. bo roid for nt rate and a third. Overtime Tates shall bo paid on wages and bonuses. . ~ , Double rotes shall he paid for all work done on Christmas Day. Good r'dnYand on Sundays. Rate and a half shall be paid for all work done on eneh of the following days, viz., New Year s Day, Easter Saturday, Easter Monday, Labour Dav. Sovereign’s Birthday, and Boxing Day, also on three other holidays to be 'mutually arranged at the 'beginning of the season. The employer may agree with the unions to substitute any other day for any Of the abovementioned holidays, and in that event all provisions of this award shall aliply to such substituted day.. Rates of pay for piecework not provided for herein be arranged between the employers and the union, and failing agreement shall be referred to the Disputes Committee for settlement. Where contracts are let all contractors shall pay tho workers engaged by them tho minimum Tate of wages prescribed bs this award. The employers shall make it a binding term of any such con. tract that the contractor shall comply wit'h these conditions. In every case where olauglitermen are required to wait for work after the arranged time for starting work they shall be paid at the rate of 3s. per hour for all time so waited. In the event of a cut-obt if slaughtermen are required to wait fifteen minutes Jhey shall be paid at tho rate of 3s. per hour for all time waited; time to count from the time the last man cuts out on that board. Waiting time for pullers, when they are required to wait fifteen minutes,' shall be paid for at the rate of 2s. per hour. In all other departments should it lie necessary at any time to wait for noik after the notified time of starting', waiting time shall bo paid for at the specified rate until actual time of starting In all cases where men are ..called out and there is no work or less than two hours’ work available, they shall receive a minimum of two hours’ pay at the rate specified. ~ "*V'h('n a worker has keen notified of intention to work overtime, and overtime is not worked, such worker shall receive one hour’s pay at overtime rates. Slaughtermen’s work is defined at length, and provision is made for learners. The award docs not apply to foremen and other officials. The preference clause states:— PREFERENCE CLAUSE.

If any employer shall hereafter engage any worker coming within tho scope of this award who shall not be a member of tho union, and who shall not become a member thereof witnin fourteen days after his engagement and remain such member, the employer shall dismiss such worker from his service if requested to do so by the union, provided there is then a member of the .union equally qualified to perform the particular work required to lie done, amt ready and willing to undertake the same. The provisions of tho foregoing clause shall operate only if and so long as the rules of the union shall permit any worker coming within tho scope of this award of good character and sober habits to become and continue a member of the union upon a written application, without ballot or other election, and upon payment of an annual fee (inclusive of entrance fee, if any), not exceeding 30s. Whenever an employer shell engage a worker who is not a member of the union he shall within seven days thereai’ter give notice in writing of such employment to the secretary of the union. The Court reserves to itself the power to delete or vary the provisions of this clause on proof of sufficient cause being given. There aro a number of general provisions; also conditions governing underrate workers. Regarding disputes the award state®? that i'ne essence of this award being that the work of the employer shall always proceed in the customary manner, and shall not on any account whatsoever be impeded, it is provided that if any dispute or difference shall arise between the parties bound by this award or any of them, whether as to its constructiot or meaning or a® to any other matter whatever arising out of or connected therewith, every sveh dispute or difference as the same shal» arise sT.all be referred to a coinmittee, to be

composed of three representatives «f the union, and three representatives of the employers, for their decision. The decision of the majority of the committee shall be binding, and if no decision is arrived at then the matter in dispute shall bo referred to a committee of three representatives of the New Zealand Freezing Workers Employees federation and three representatives of the employers, and if they are unable to arrive at a decision _ either party may refer the matter in dispute to the Arbitration Court for settlement. The award is to come into force on December 12 and remain in till June 30, 1923. In a memorandum the Court states: A MEMORANDUM. “The matters left to the decision of the Court were unusually numerous, and in many casts were of a complicated technical nature. In dealing with tho technical clauses we received very valuable assistance from tiir Francis Boys and Mr. Cederwell (whose place was afterwards taken, by Mr. Shea), who were nominated by the employers as experts, and Messrs. Sill and Niall, who were similarly nominated by the workers

"The question of wages has received bui’ careful attention. In the main, we have adopted th (.•■scale of rates set out in the awards and agreements of 1919, but have made minor changes in order to remove anomalies. By agreement between the parties, in December, 1620, a bonus of 20 per cent, was added io pieceworkers’ rates and a bonus of 25 per cent, to time workers’ rates. These were in excess of the bonuses granted by the Court, and we were satisfied that, in view of altered conditions and the low prices ruling for meat on tho London market, and the urgent necessity for the freezing companies to reduce their chai-ges to the farmers, the bonus additions required revision. We have, therefore. followed the 1919 basic rates, but have reduced the bonuses to 12J and 15 pcr cent, respectively. This places the workers in the freezing industry on the some footing, in- comparison with other tvorkei'S, as existed in 1912-14, when tire freezing workers secured certain advantages, which they still retain under this award; and their purchasing power is, at the least, equal to what it was last season. We have incorporated the provisions of the casings workers’ 1 -awards and agreements in this award, so as to have one uniform set of awards for the whole industry.

"We have re-cast a number of classes of the 1919 awards and agreements, in. connection with, which there were matters left in 'doubt. Our procedure has been to take the 1919 awards and agreements as a guide, and to supplement their provisions where it has been necessary to do so, and to make amendments where it was shown that anomalies existed. with the object of ensuring that the award should be clear and definite in its terms, and should cover, as far as it was possible to fo.rsee, all matter that might otherwise become subjects of difference between the parties.

"Though separate awards have beenprepared for the different industrial districts, they are identical in their wording, and we have indicated in subclauses, under the appropriate headings, any matters in respect of which diilerent rates or conditions aro proscribed for different districts. This, we hope, will render the awards convenient for reference, and will save an employe., having businesses in more than one district. or a worker removing from one district to another from the trouble of having to compare differing, local awards.

"It is necessary .that two members of the Court rliall concur before a decision can be given. In the preparation of this award, some of the clauses represented the decision of a majority, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the other; but the award, as a whole, has been adopted by all three members as a reasonable settlement of a vei-y difficult series of problems, and is accordingly- concurred in by us all.”

PAST WAGES AND BONUSES.

Prior to 1912 the freezing workers received rates of wages approximating to those’ of general labour outside the industry. Between. 1912 and 1914 by a teries of awards and agreements, the freezing works employees received increases to Is. 3d. per hour in the Wellington district, Is. 2Jd. in Canterbury, ■ and somewhat lower rates in other districts. At this time the rate for general labourers outside tho i'rvefcing induisttry was Is. lid. per hour. In 1919, by a series of awards and agreements, the minimum rate for unskilled labour in the. freezing industry was raised to Is. j 9d. per hour. Tn February, 1920, by | agreement between the company's and : the unions, a bonus of 7| per cent, was added to the pieceworkers’ rates and a bonus of 10 per cent, was added to the time workers’ rates. Towards the end of 1920, after protracted negotiations, a further agreement was made between the companies and the unions, whereby the bonuses were increased to 20 per cent. I for pieceworkers and 25 per cent, for time workers. Thci Court has now decided to reduce these bonuses to 12J per cent, for pieceworkers, and 15 per cent, for time workers. The Court has left tho minimum basic rate unaltered. This leaves tho workers in the freezing industry with the advantages they obtained over other labourers between 1912 and 1914. General labourers outside the industry aro now in receipt of a wage of Is. 7d. pcr hour, plus a bonus of o.ld. per hour —Is. lOjd. per hour in all. A nunflwer of ambiguities nnd anomalies that existed in the former awards and agreements have, been removed. The Court, also, Ims inserted a number of technical definitions which it is thought will obviate disputes over such matters.