THE SLAUGHTERMAN

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 18 December 1912, Page 6

THE SLAUGHTERMAN

WHAT THEY ARE DEMANDING. HATES OF PAY AND GENERAL CONDITIONS. For soms time past it has been generally known tJuit fcho New Zealand Slaughtermen's Euderation .wag contemplating a set of now demands from the freezing companies early in tlio new year. On Monday a. representative of the Dominion was shown a. copy of the men's statement of claims. The demands are as under:— PAY AND WORKING HOURS

The ordinary h.oui>> -of work shall 1)0 hetweon $ a.m. and 5 p.m. on five days in the week. One hour shall bo allowed for lunch between the 'hours of 12 noon and 1 p.m. On Saturdays work shall be commenced at and cease not later tha.n 12 noon with 15 minutes' smoke-oli. The rates for sheep and lambs shall be: All sheep and lambs not ntherv wiso specified, 30s per ICQ: cfoiilili 1 fleeco sheep, 37s 6d per 100; rams and stags other than ram lambs, Gd each; all sheep characteristic, of rams', Gd each; dead sheep or lambs, lit each ; no sheep or lambs to be dressed with long shanks; no daggy sheep or lambs to be killed'; all sheep or lambs coming more than seven miles by road sliall stand four hours before being killed ; all. sheep yards shall be covered for at least one day's killing, drained and built tip -with solid floor. The rates for cattle yhall he: Bullocks and cows, 2s 6d peJ' head; bulls, 'is Gd pr-v head: all- bulls to ho chopped, and soft-sided, otherwise double rates lie paid. For calves the rates shall be: Up to 2001b.. 2s: over 2001b beef rates; double' rates to be . paid for all Kosher stuff; all dead cattle done at the, works shall be naid for at 7s fid each. The rates for pigs shall be: Pigs up to 1001b, Is: over 1001b. Is per 100 extra for every 100 lb or fraction of 1001b; nigi that have to be skinned shall be double rates on agreement prices. • OVERTIME. WAITING, AND SMOKE-OH.

The folio-wing conditions are asked in reference to smoke-oh, overtime, .and waiting time: Fifteen minutes in the forenoon and 15 minutes in the afternoon shall be allowed for smokeoli. The smoke-ohs shall he as nearly as possible to 9.45 in the morning and 3 .in the afternoon. Overtime shall bo paid for at the rate of rate and a .half. Not more than one hmir per day overtime to be worked. No overtime to be. worked on Saturday. All overtime to he worked before 8 a.m. Should, it be necessary at any time to start work after 8 a.m. waiting time shall, bo paid from 8 a.m. till time of starting. Should the men be rallied out beore 8 a.m. and no work provided they shall bo paid overtime rate for waiting as from 7 a.m. Slaughtermen shall wait 15 minutes in the event of a cut out, but if inquired to wait longer than 15 minutes they sha.ll be paid at the rate of 3s ■per hour for oil time waited, the recognised dinner hour to be excluded. Slaughterman shall he paid one hour waiting time when not told the day before if they rrmne in the morning and there is no stock. In limit sheds the minimum on sheep and lambs shall be twelve per hour for those capable of doing twelve. SLAUGHTERMEN'S WORK DEPINED. Mutton butchers' duties shall conj »ist_ of killing, taking out tongues, taking off shanks, skins .(including . wool portion of head), and heads, severing wool pieces, taking insides out, wiping and hanging off. j Slaughtermen shall be allowed to I cut wool pieces up or down as they | please. | Beef butchers' duties shall be:— Stun or pith, bleed and take head off, hoist, ground, take hide off, skin j and take tail off, take insides out, strip caul, wipe and clean, divide into I side*, chop rump and saw from second | joint in loin to fourth rib from neck. All cattle to be put in the pithingpen by the employer. CONDITIONS GOVERNING LEARNERS. The conditions which it is asked shall apply in respect to learners'are: The employers may employ learners in their respective factories. Each learner shall be provided with a hook. The hooks for learners shall be kept separate ag far as reasonablv practicable from the hooks of the .slaughtermen. Learners shall bo ompLoved in such proportion to sla ugh terme.n that there shall not be more than one learner to every twenty slaughtermen or fraction of the first twenty No learners shall be allowed to' start while members of the union are idle. Gut-boyft shall bo given preference as learners. A learner when capable of killing and dressing eight sheep or lambs for freezing purposes to the .satisfaction of the foreman butcher shall be ' i classed as a competent slaughterman ] j and shall be. transferred from the learners' class. Not more than one set of learners shall be allowed; to work m any one shed in any one season. Each employer shall'employ a slaughterman to teach such learners. -' The said slaughterman shall bo a ' member of the union. His retmmer- I ation shall be the average tally of the hoard. Learners shall be'pnkT

For the slaughtering done by them at not loss than the ratog specified, in thia agreement. Each learner must | be a. member of a union affiliated with the New: Zealand Slaughtermen s ' Federation. I The Federation, shall not fino or in I any way penalise any member thereof for becoming a learner under the provisions of this agreement or for teaching any «uoh learner in accordance with the said provisions. Each employer shall bo entitled to liavo one learner in each beef slaughterhouse, and such learner shall bo taken off the mutton-board. iNo beef butchers slrall bo allowed, to employ labourers. HOLIDAYS AND PREFERENCE. The recognised holidays shall be: — New Year's Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, Birthday of Reigning Sovereign, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Labour Day. Other holidays to be arranged to meet the requirements of the several localities. All work done on any one of the holidays or on Sundays shall bo paid for at double rates. Preference of employment shall bo given to members of tho New Zealand Slaughtermen's Federation. Provided that for the purpose, of this agreement the rules with respwt to the admission of members shall bo interpreted to mean that no ha.lloit or other election shall be required in case of any person of good character or any person who does not owe contributions to any kindred organisation. Any member who in appointed as a foreman or any other position of trust sliall cease to lie a member of tho union. GENERAL MATTERS. Not moro than one slaughterman shall lie engaged for each hook In each slaughterhouse. No more than two men tn work in one pen. In tho event of a man meeting with an accident which is likely to keep him off for over a mouth tho employer shall ha.ve the right to temporarily fill the vacancy. shall be paid weekly, two days' lie time to be allowed.

When any slaughterman is required to net as "clock" he shall bo paid a minimum of £1 per week extra by the eomna.ny requiring his iscrviecs. ■Drinking water shall he provided on tho hoard. Boiling water to he supplied for making hot drinks. Lines sliall he placed along each board for hanging leggings, etc. Suitable bathing accommodation shall ho provided for slaughtermen in all works in the proportion of one bath or shower to every ten mon, both hot and cold water to be laid on. [Dressing', drying, dining and bath rooms .shall be provided as near as possible to the slaughtering board. These to bo for tho exclusive use of slaughtermen, and kept clean by the employers. Employers shall provide medicine chest and bandages at tne works, a.lso suitable paddock accommodation for workmen's horses and shed accommodation for bicycles. Gratings over blood drains shall be built level with tho pens. Wooden grating? sliall he placed under each liook and on all concrete, boards. Grindstones shall be placed in or near every slaughterhouse. One grindstone, turned by power, to every twenty men.