DISPUTE OVER A SHEEP

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 116, 14 February 1928, Page 10

DISPUTE OVER A SHEEP

GO-SLOW TACTICS ALLEGED DEADLOCK AT FREEZING WORKS TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY MEN PAID OFF Dominion Special Service. Auckland, February 13. . Arising out ot a difference of opinion over the classification of a sheep and the payment to be made for selling it, a dis. pute at the Westfield Freezing Works reached a climax this morning, and about 250 s men were paid off.- The deadlock continued throughout the day, and up to this evening there was no prospect of a settlement. The men will meet tomorrow evening to discuss the situation. Explaining the position, Mr, R, D. Rogers, general manager for Messrs. W.and R. Fletcher (N.Z.) Ltd., managing agents for the Westfield Freezing Cq., said that on Friday the question of classification of one sheep arose. It was contended the animal was a "stag” and that double pay should be given. The award provided that in such a , dispute the foreman butcher’s decision should be final. The men, Mr. Rogers said, would not accept thatdecision, whereupon the company went further by offering to let the Government veterinarian decide the question. Like the foreman butcher, the veterinarian w a s of opinion the animal did not come under the designation of a stag. "The men did not agree to accept decision of either of these gentlemen, and immediately adopted a ‘go slaw’ policy, which was continued throughout the remainder of the day, Saturday, and up to thjs morning,” said Mr. Rogers. "The works manager offered this morning to call in the Disputes Committee, provided for in the award, to arbitrate on the matter, but he intimated that in the meantime work would,, have to be continued under normal conditions, failing which work would have to cease. That offer was not acceptable to the men, with the result that they were paid off after ‘smoke-oh’ this morning.” The award provides that killing pace for all classes of sheep, lambs, cattle, and pigi shall be regulated by employers for each slaughterpianj The management contends that normal rate is from 11 to ItJ sheep and lambs an hour and 12 cattle per tackle per hour. The ‘go slow’ tactics, however, are alleged to have reduced those rates to about eight sheep and lambs and six ca'ttle per ’ hour. / ■ -y“The action of a few butcher? has resulted in the necessity for paying ofi Supporting labour, representing; ig all, about 250 men,” said Mr, Rogers. The remainder, totalling about 50, would have to go iFtrouble were of any duration. Recently daily killings at Westfield have averaged 250 cattle and calves and 2000 sheep and lambs,. Owing to exceptionally dry weather, the cessation of work mqst seriously aflecf the farmer, who is at fhe moment; particularly anxious to dispose of surplus stock as speedily as possible. If tlie slaughtermen do not resume w°rk under. normal conditions the management will be faced With the necessity of making other arrangements fo carry on. An invitation to discuss the situat|on from the men’s ppint of view, was declined by Mr, W. E- Silk secretary of the Butchers and Slaughtermen’s Union. “The dispute is on all right, but I have nothing to say,” was his only comment. Sonic of the men involved ip tfie dispute, however, were more communicative, Qne of the butchers confirmed the management’s statement that the dispute had its genesis in the classification pf a sheep claimed by a, mutton butcher to be a “stag,” As no agreement coqld be reached on the dispute, the butchers decided to go slow, and, instead of killing tfie cus, tpmary fourteen sheep a n hour, they killed eight. As no agreement was arrived at when the matter was further debated to-day, the management decided to “close down.” y

"There are. only twenty-five mutton butchers, all told, on Westfield? board?,” added the butcher, “though the stand they have taken, -which, after all, involves only a few .pence, the butchers have rendered idle about 350 men. In the vote taken among the butchers to decide if the sheep was. ft •stag,’ many of them voted that it was) not, but the majority carried a go slow decision. All the ’ Westfield freezing workers are meeting to-morrow night to discus? the position and see if soijis settlement can be reached.”