FREEZING WORKERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 852, 21 December 1929, Page 13

FREEZING WORKERS

NEW AWARD FILED SEVERAL ALTERATIONS / -• _ Press Association K AV KLLIXGTON, Today. Th® Dominion freezing workers’ frward was filed today and takes effect from January 1 and continues in force until December 31, 1930. In a memorandum to the award Mr. Justice Fraser states that the court ban made alteration to th® clauses relating to the hours of chamber hands, the wages of strippers in guthouse. the cleaning of flues, the minimum average wage of slaughterhouse assistants, disputes, and the term of the award. In other respects the award is based on tho expired award. In regard to clause 31k which provides for a minimum average wage for hourly paid slaughterhouse assistants it was considered that three clear days’ notice of dismissal was unnecessarily long, regard being had to the conditions governing the employment ©f these workers and to the objects of the clause and the period of notice is now fixed at 72 hours. An increase of 3d an hour in the rate for strippers in the gut-house, which was agreed upon by tho parties when the last award was made, has been deleted. Th® employers st;. ted that the agreement was made under a mistake because the evidence showed that the operation was a very different one from that performed in the casings department, for which a higher rate was originally and is still prescribed. The evidence also showed that the retention of the 3d an hour increase would place strippers in the gut-house on a higher basis than that prescribed for the runners-oft', whose work requires, if anything, more c are than that of the strippers. Further it would place thtsfi strippers on a higher wages rate thin the meat graders and shop butchers, who are skilled workers. EMPLOYEES’ REP. PROTESTS Mr. A.. L. Monteith, employees’ representative, dissents from the award because of the alteration to clause 31 and the reduction of 3d an hour awarded to the strippers. In respect to the former, he states that evidence wr.s tendered by the union 12 months ago which clearly showed hardship to workers and the employers’ representative then admitted unfairness and the clause was inserted by the court. At tho present hearing the clause was amended by a majority of the court ■wi.hout any evidence from the employers or any case being cited of hardship. In rega.rd to the reduction of 3d in the case of strippers, Mr. Monteith contends tho.t it is against the weight of evidence. The hours of work defined by the award for freezing chamber hands are eight in any 24, reckoning from midnight to midnight. The workers engaged in removing soot from flues shall be paid 2s 4d a day extra, except on Sundays, when double the ordinary tine shall be paid. For the purposes of the award a flue shall be deemed to extend from tho firing dock of the boiler to the foot of the smoke stack. ASSISTANTS’ WAGES The wages of the slaughterhouse and cooling room assistants have been fixed as follow:—Boners, after two years, is 44d an hour; improvers, first year, 2s Id an hour; second year, 2s 2d an hour: boners, on piecework, beef a quarter, lOd; up to 801 b, 7d; floormen, on piecework, a 1,000, £1 9s; floormen, 2s Id an hour; gutmen, on piecework, a ICO, 4s sd; on beef, a .100,, £1 Is 2d: gutmen. an hour, 2s Id; cooling floor hands, trimmers, general labourers and others not otherwise stated. 2s; Id an hour; runner off. 2s 2d an hour; stripper, 2s 2d an hour; meat grader, if not permanent, 2s 33d an hour; shop butcher, if not permanent. 2i> 4d an hour. Provision is made for every dispute or difference concerning the award to bo referred to a committee consisting of three representatives of the union aad three representatives of the employers. The decision of a majority of the committee is to be binding and if no decision is arrived at the matter in dispute shall be referred to a committoe composed of three representatives of tho New' Zealand Freezing Works Employers’ Federation and three representatives of the employers. If they arc unable to arrive at a decision either party may refer the matter to tho court for settlement. The clause does not preclude any worker from hrnging an action in any court of competent jurisdiction in respect of any claim for wages or otherwise, arising put of his employment.