DAIRY FACTORY WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1921, Page 6

DAIRY FACTORY WORKERS.

PREFERENCE CLAUSE DISPUTE. CASE FOR THE EMPLOYERS. In reference to the Conciliation Council proceedings on the question of dairy factory employees’ wages, and the dincussioN*»n the preference danse, Mr. J. Ma.rx (chairman of the Employers’ Union) writes ae follows: •‘ln the interests of dairy companies and workers in daify fa-ctories the* position as it stands to-day and what has led up to same requires some explana- : tion. Some time last year the Taranaki Dairy Factories’ Industrial Union of Workers was formed and s'hon after the Taranaki Dairying and Farming Union of Employers were served with notice of a demand for what amounted to | an all-round increase of pay to the dairy : factory workers, the Employers’ Union ’on their part submitting eertaio counI ter-propwals. The matters in dispute were submitted to (he Conciliation (Council arid heard before Mr. ILtrle Giles [ (CoTiciliation Commiiisioner) on .lime 2-1 and March 3 this year at New PlyI mouth. ' It was shown to the satisfaction oT ■the Commissioner, and accepted by the j assessors of the factory workers (Messr.s * Lyons, Tyman and Forster), that the j Taranaki factory workers were receiving a higher oil-round wage than that (fixed by the most recent dairy factory 'Arbitration Court award, viz., the Auckj land award. The result of the New I Plymouth conference was that Messrs. Lyons, Tyman and Forster (the_ factory workers’ assessors) withdrew their [demands, it being agreed that either | party to the conference could again open j negotiations for future working terms. ■ On June 16 last. Mr. Lyons wrote to the j Employers’ Union asking for a confer- ■ cnee to discuss the coming season’s ar I rangements. There was, however, no I demand or mention of pay or suggestion of preference to unionists. The assessors of the two parties, Mr. Lyons being the dairy factory workers’ sole representative. met in Stratford on July 22 and in New Plymouth on July 25 j (last week), Mr, rtarle Giles presiding. “Proposals for the coming season’s (payment to-dairy factory workers were ! discussed and generally' accepted until i Mr. Lyons’ final demand, without noj tice, viz., preference to unionists, being in the opinion of the employers’ assessors unnecessary, as Judge Sims’ Taranaki award given at New Plymouth on | October 6,1909. had worked well.! Clause 12 of the 1909 Arbitration award | is as follows: ‘No employer shall discriminate against members of the union, nor shall any employer in the conduct of his business do anything directly or indirectly for the purpose of in- ! juring the union.’ The employers’ as- ’ sessors offered to continue this clause, but objected to the insertion of the prejference clause asked for by the workers’ . ( assessor.” |