THE BUTCHERY TRADE.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1921, Page 7

THE BUTCHERY TRADE.

APPLICATION FOR AWARD-, THE EMPLOYEES’ CLAIMS- . An application by tie. recently-formed New Plymouth Retail Butchers’ Union for an award was'considered at a sit. ting of the Conciliation Council held Yesterday, but the proceedings did not result in the parties arriving at an Agreement. Mr. T. Harle Giles, Conciliation Commissioner, presided, and the assessors were: For the employers, Messrs. O. W. Sole, J. Philp and C. H. Wynyard; and for the union, Messrs. A. Herdman, W. E. Sill (Auckland) and F. J. Lyons. The Commissioner remarked that the application was confined to New Plymouth, only those butchers within the borough being cited as parties to the award. It was not like amending an existing award, as there had been no taiori and no award operating. Usually more time was taken in dealing with Conditions and details of employment When a first award was being considered than when an existing award was being renewed or The principal claims by the union Were in respect to hours of work, which, of course, will hfive to be fixed in accordance with the provisions of the amendment to the Shops and Offices Act. The wages claimed were: First shopman, £5 12s fid per week; second, f£s 2s fid; first small goods man, £5 •12s 6d; slaughtermen,. £5 12s 6d; men in charge of hawking carts, £5 2s fid; all other workers, £5. Casual workers not less than 2s fid per hour. Overtime ( . at rate and a half, and double time on Eight whole day holidays r r ere asked for on the usual statutory olidays.

The counter proposals of the employers offered the following wages: First Bhopman, £4 per week; second, £3 10s; first smaU goods man, £4; carters, £3 10s. In addition to the minimum rates ft bonus of 5s per week was offered to 81l workers. Overtime to be at the rate of time and a half, the bonus not to be included in computing the overtime rate. Casual workers not less than Bs per hour. Regarding the counter proposals filed by the employers, the union representatives said they had not received a copy.

Mr. Wynyard, on behalf of the employers, applied for an adjournment of the hearing on the ground that as the Bcope of the award was intended to embrace the whole of Taranaki, all the butchers in that area should be cited and should be given an opportunity of sharing in the framing of the award Under which they would have to work. As a matter of fact, only the butchers lurrying on business in New Plymouth had been cited, not including the pork butchers. It was urged that country conditions were very different from those in the tow#, and country butchers Bhould be represented in* the making of the award. Mr. Lyons, for the union objected to the adjournment. He said the dispute Was all in order, and his side was prepared to go on. It was the intention of the union to cite all the other butchers, but it was impossible to do St in time for the present sitting of the council. They would be cited individually, and any objection they might have to being joined as parties to the Award could be stated to the Arbitration Court at the time of the applica. jtion. So far as a meeting between jthe employers and the union was concerned, Mr. Lyons said that had been "tried, but the masters objected to the men having their secretary, who was pot a practical butcher, with them. JFhe counter proposals of the employers Jfrere quite unacceptable. No headway could be made, and the Commissioner granted the application of the employers on the grounds stated, tmtil February 23, it being understood that the scope of the award would regain for the whole of Taranaki, and the employers undertaking to see that jill the other butchers were properly pted.