FREEZING WAGES

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12617, 30 November 1926, Page 3

FREEZING WAGES

NO RECEDING EMPLOYERS’ CONDITIONAL OFFER CONFERENCE PENDING There could be no receding from the attitude already taken up iu regard to the freezing workers’ claims for more pay, and the employers’ offer to refer the matter to the Arbitration Court was contingent only on an immediate manning of the works, states Mr’J. Milne, on behalf of the freezing companies and farmers’ organisations. He points out that the present award was made in 1921, when Mr M. J. Reardon, a former freezing union secretary, was one of the assessors, and since then conditions had remained practically the same, except that increases of pay had been granted from time to time, the latest in 1924, when the court’s memorandum referred to the seasonal nature of the employment. When the court extended its basic rate from Is 9d to Is lOd in September, 1925, ‘ its pronouncement stated that the freezing workers had already participated in this advance. The freezing companies declined to join with the workers in approaching the court for a general increase, and nothing further was done till January last, when go-slow tactics were tried by the Canterbury slaughtermen without avail. NO INCREASE POSSIBLE Average earnings for the season, taken from the records of several works, show the following:—Slaughterhouse assistants, per week, £4 11s 4d; offal house. £4 10s 8d; freezing chambers, £5 17s 4d; fellmongery, £5 4s 2d ; tallow, manure. £4, 16s 8d ; yard labourers, £4 10s lOd; preserving department. £4 6s 6d; hide department, £4 13s. Where men had earned considerably less an investigation would no doubt show that the cause was outside the control of the company, although. perhaps, not altogether beyond the ability of the individual to rectify The present position of the industry, and, in fact, the country generally, is such as to indicate that no further increases in wages will be possible: in fact, it will be difficult to maintain rates of pay at their present standard. Negotiations have been concluded for a conference of all parties concerned to-morrow morning. PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS DELETION OF CLAUSE URGED. Per Press Association. PAHIATUA, November 29. At a large and representative meeting of farmers, resolutions were passed supporting the organising of free labour for the freezing works during the present trouble, and also urging upon the executive of the Farmers’ Union to do all possible to have tbc preference to unionists clause in the Act eliminated.

STORMY MEETING MEN AGAINST STRIKE. GISBORNE, November 29. A full meeting of members of the Freezing Workers’ Union was held at Tokomaru Bay on Saturday night, when the officials of the union spoke and urged "the men to follow the lead of other branches. The meeting was a stormy one, and the officials did not. get, a good hearing. Eventually the following. resolution was passed by 19 votes to 15: “That this branch considers the present time inopportune for tho demanding of an increase in wages, and that work be accepted under the present award.’’ The Tokomaru Bay works opened this morning with a complete staff of union men. FULL BOARDS WORKING Full boards of forty butchers are operating at both the local freezing works to-dav. It is expected that there will be no “difficulty in killing from 1500 to 2000 sheep daily at each of the works

TRAMWAYMEN MEET

SYMPATHY WITH FREEZING WORKERS. At a fully attended meeting of the union -executive of the Wellington Tramway .Employees’ Union, the following resolution was unanimously earned, and l was instructed to forward the same to you, with a request that it be published;— ... “Tho executive of the Wellington Tramwav Union places on record its sympathy with the Hawke s Bay freezing workers in the stand they have taken to secure a living wage for the service they render to the community, and declares that it is a public scandal that between 30 and 40 per cent, of those workers are onlv able to earn, under an award of the Arbitration Court, and m one of the greatest industries of the country, a wage of. roughly, £3 to £3 5s a week during the season, and are then dismissed when the labour market is at its worst. "The Wellington Tramways Union draws public attention to the fact that the employer*, whose mouthpieces ore advocating an industrial truce, have in t)his industry rejected a proposal to meet the union representatives in conference, and have also refused to ]oiu with the union in an application to the Arbitration Court for an amendment of the award according to the court s pronouncement in September, 1925. “As the employers have taken up an unreasonable and dictatorial attitude, the Wellington Tramways Union appeals to the workers, through their industrial organisations, to give everv support to the freezing workers in just claim for adequate remuneration. ’