SOME CORRESPONDENCE.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 78, 6 September 1912, Page 4

SOME CORRESPONDENCE.

F. Ellis writes :—

At the monthly meeting of the New Zealand Freezing Works and Allied Trades Employees' Federation correspondence was received from the Masterton Freezing Works Union, a copy of which I am instructed to forward to your paper for publication :—

The Wellington Freezing Works Employees' Industrial Union of Workers.

Trades Hall, Cuba »t., Wellington, August 1, 1912. The Managing Director, Wellington

Meat Co., M< Asterton.

Dear Sir,—Since the agreement between the Wellington freezing works employees «jd the two Wellington companies has been oompleted, we bay» he«n negotiating with the other employers for agreements similar to Wellington. We intended to make application under section 3 of the Arbitration Amendment Act, 19U, to have the agreement extended to the other works. This, however, would not give the employers an opportunity to rectify any items that were not suitable for local conditions. I respectfully suggest that if you are agreeable, we might consider the question of arriving at an agreement on the basis of the on* now in operation in Wellington. I may say that the Wellington Union has arrived at agreements with the Gear Company, the Meat Export Company, Wanganui Freezing Company and the Fatea Freezing Company. It has been held by the employers interested that we should have competing companies bound by similar terms as te wages and working conditions. This, of course, we have to recognise as being a fair proposition. They argue that as they are competing in the same market they should he working on aimilar terms. For that reason I think you might favorably consider the question of trying to get agreements on th© lines of those in force in the works of the companies I have named above.—-Yours faithfully, M. J. REARDON, Secretary; Wellington Farmers' Meat Co., Ltd. Freezing Works: Taratahi. Masterton, N.Z., Aug. 7,1912. M. J. Reardon, Esq., Secretary W.F.W.E.1.U.W., Trades Hall, Wellington. Dear Sir, —I am in receipt of your letter of the Ist., and regret my inability to reply sooner, as I was awAy in Wellington during the latter part of last week and since I have been back I have been very busy preparing for our annual meeting, which takes place to-morrow. Re your letter and attached agreement, I can only say this: I will be ready to fall in with the agreement if our employees are agreeable, but they, of course, must be consulted. I should advise, therefore, to communicate *au the local union, and get their feelings on the matter. In the meantime, I will forward a copy of your letter and my reply to the local secretary. I may eat, to ask the committee of the local umon to meet mc before the commencement of next season to discuss this agreement, and wherever there is a difference between the rate of pay now being paid at Wellington and that paid by our company we shall, of course, be quite willing to adjust.—Yours very truly, j. a COOPER. Wellington Farmers' Meat Co., Ltd. Freezing Works: Taratahi. Masterton, N.Z., Aug. 7,1912. A. Thomson, Esq., Secretary Taratahi Workers' Union (Reg. Trades Union Act), Millard street, Masterton. Dear enclose herewith copy of correspondence between Mr. M. J. Reardon, of the Wellington Freezing Works Employees' Union, and myself for the consideration of your union.— Yours very truly, The Wellington Farmers' Meat Co., Ltd. J. C. Cooper, Managing Director. On August 10 the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company, Masterton, wrote to the union dealing with the dismissal if several members of the union: "That the Board refuses in future to recognise any union of employees except such union is registered under the Industrial Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1908, and amendments."