“NOT JUSTIFIED”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 801, 23 October 1929, Page 6

“NOT JUSTIFIED”

NO INCREASE TO ABATTOIR ASSISTANTS MR. MONTEITH’S CRITICISM An increase in rates of pay for killing mutton, lamb, and pigs lias been refused the Auckland Abattoir assistants by the Arbitration Court in the award covering these workers just issued. The majority of the court did not « onsider the workers’ union’s claim for an increase had been justified, states a memorandum of the award. It was pointed out that work at the abattoirs was not seasonal as was work at ordinary export slaughter-houses, and that the return of wages of mutton slaughtermen at the abattoirs for the year ended March 31, 1929 averaged £33'J 13s lid each. The manager of the abattoirs had pointed out that the hours worked on mutton and pigs averaged 35 weekly. A majority of the court considered that an hourly rate was justified where equipment lor killing pigs was such as installed at the abattoirs. Mr. A. L. Monteith «workers’ assessor ) refused to take part in the discussion on this phase. Iri his dissenting opinion, Mr. Monteith declared that he considered the rate for mutton should have been adjusted to give an increase of 5s a 3 00. At the previous hearing when making a. flat rate, the court considered that sheep and lambs were killed in equal numbers, but both parties in this case agreed that lambs comprised one-third and sheep two-thirds. This adjustment should have been made. He differed from tho majority of the court in holding that mutton, lamb and pig rates were the only matters for consideration, claiming that ram lamb rates also required consideration.