BUTCHERS' DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 85, 12 April 1937, Page 11

BUTCHERS' DISPUTE

HOURS AND WAGES

The dispute between ..the master butchers of the Wellington industrial district and the Wellington Operative Butchers' Industrial Union of Workers was commenced today before the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr.. M. J. Reardon). v . . ;■. ~:

Assessors for the employers were Messrs. J. F. Carter (Palmerston North), G. E. Bennett (Wanganui), W. Tunley (Wellington), and G. G. Stanford (Napier). Mr. W. J. Mountjoy was agent. Assessors for the j respondents were. Messrs. A. Needham, J. Leckie, W. Birch,' and W. Bailey, all of Wellington; Mr. A. W. Croskerywas agent.

The employers'' proposals were for the hours provided in the Shops and Offices Act, no worker other than a carter to commence earlier than 6 a.m. except on one day in the week or on a day preceding a holiday, a specified holiday to be deemed as a day worked, overtime to-be paid if.work were,done on that day. Wages offered ranged from £4 5s for a man on a hawking cart to £5 for a ■first shopman, boys' wages ranging from 15s in the-first year to 75s in the seventh year in the case of boys commencing under 16, and 30s in the first year to 80s in the fifth year in the case ■of boys commencing between 19 and 2!. For casual workers 2s 6d an hour was offered, with a minimum of three hours on the morning of the half-day and- five hours on any other day, a casual worker to be one employed for a period of not more than five consecutive days.

Overtime offered was time and a half, and double time for work done on Christmas Day, or Good Friday. Holidays1 offered were New Year's Day and the day following, Good: Friday, Easter Monday, Labour Day, King's Birthday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Anniversary Day, and the butchers' picnic day, with variations for districts, in respect of show days, etc.

The union disagreed with the whole of the employers' claims, and in its counter-proposals sought a. 40-hour week, to be worked between 8 a.m;and 4 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays inclusive, and between 7 a.m. and noon on Saturdays; the work to, be continuous, except for the meal hou£ Besides the holidays offered, Easter Saturday and Anzac Day were sought. Overtime at double time for all hours in excess of 40 per week, or before or after the starting times was sought, with Is 6d tea money for all those required to work overtime.

The wages sought ranged from £5 10s for the lowest paid worker, to £6 10s for first shopman. Boys' wages claimed were from £2 for boys under 17 to' £3 15s for boys from 19 to 21, the proportion of boys or youths to be one to every three men or fraction of the first three. For casual labour 3s per > our was asked, with a minimum j of seven hours for any day, a casual worker to be one employed for less than 5J consecutive days. It was agreed that a clause be drafted preventing the employment'of a man as casual for five days a week over lengthy periods. ; (Proceeding.)