FACTORY WORKERS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21190, 13 August 1940, Page 9

FACTORY WORKERS

EXTRA DAIRY PRODUCTION UNION OFFICIAL’S REMARKS (By Telegraph.—Special to Times) AUCKLAND, Monday In a statement to-day the national president of the New Zealand Dairy Factory Workers’ Union, Mr H. J. McKeown, referred to the alteration in dairy factory workers’ conditions as recommended by the Industrial Emergency Council, and in particular to statements made by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb. Mr McKeown denied that any consultations had taken place between employers and workers’ organisations, with a view to satisfactory working arrangements being settled. “There has never been any consultation at which the workers were represented,” said Mr McKeown. “The only opportunity we had was a request to state our case before the Industrial Emergency Council.” Regarding the Minister’s statement that the arrangement was highly satisfactory from the workers’ standpoint, Mr McKeown pointed out that under the new scale of wages and hours fixed by the Industrial Emergency Council workers were asked to do 318 hours more in the next year than under the last award.

“Extra remuneration for the year will amount to £26, so it is rather a stretch of imagination to agree that this position can be considered satisfactory by the workers,” Mr McKeown continued. “We consider it would have been better for the old award to have continued to operate, so that the men would be paid at ordinary rates for the extra hours demanded of them, and which they were quite willing to work.”