FREEZING WORKERS’ DISPUTE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2578, 5 February 1910, Page 2

FREEZING WORKERS’ DISPUTE.

PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF AGREEMENT.

CONFERENCE TO BE HELD

TO-DAY. The following i s the proposed schedule of the rates of pay and conditions of labor between the Poverty Bay

Freezing "Works Industrial Union of Workers and the Gisborne Shoepfarmers’ Frozen Meat Company. Ltd., anti Messrs Nelson Brothers, Ltd. Copies have been served on both firms by the Freezers’ Union, and a conference between representatives of the Unlion and the employers will be held at 2.130 p.m. to-day: HOURS OF LABOR. 1. Unless herein otherwise provided, men shall work eight hours per day between the hours of 6 a.m. and (3 p.m. All time worked beyond those hours to be paid for at overtime rates. 2. In departments where it is possible to arrange it work shall cease at 12.30 p.m. on Saturdays. Men working in those departments may work eight and a-lialf hours per day on live days of the week to make up their forty-eight hours. In such cases all time worked after 12.30 p.m. on Saturday shall be paid time and quarter. 3. The starting hour shall be regulated from time to time by the employer. 4. Men working in shifts shall work eight hours out of the twenty-four. 5. No longer period than live hours shall he worked between meals except in the case of finishing, when thirty minutes extra may he worked. RATES OF PAY.

6. The rates of pay for the several classes shall be as follows:

per hour. Cooling floor general hands Is Od Trimmers Is 2rid Boners Is 3d Grader Is 3d Wheel-carriers Is Isd Gut-house hands Is Od Truck-men ... ... Is 1-Id —Blood and Fat-house Workers. — Blood-boilers and driers... Is 3d Fat-house hands Is 0:1:1 Manure-crushing hands ... Is lid Blood-crushing hands Is 3d —F el Imo i i gory Hands. Pelt classer Is 3d First painter Is 3d Fleshers Is 3d Linie-dollv, scudders, curedolly, drier-men, truckmen, trimmers, painters Is lid Floor hands Is Od Per 100. Pullers 3s Od

Employers to provide gloves, shears, and slickers. When pullers are called upon to work on holidays, the rates prescribed lor such holidays to be paid. —Freezing Chamber Hands. — All hands on day work. Is Od per hour. When loading, same rates as men on lighters. All overtime beyond two hours, time and half. Employers*to pay men half of meal hours, and also to provide smocks. —Preserving Department.— Per hour. Tinsmith Is I'd All other hands Is 0d Per week. Storeman £3 —Miscellaneous Workmen.— Per hour. Coopering Is 3d Lime burner Is 3d Tally-man on shoot Is 3d Firemen—£3 3s per week of seven days. Nigthwatehnian—Present pay and conditions. All unspecified labor—ls per hour. —Boys’ and Youths’ Wages.— Per week. Between 14 and 15 years, 14 s Od Between 15 and 16 years, 16s 6:1 Between 16 and 17 years, 20s Od Between 17 and 18 years, 25s Od Between 18 and 20 years. 3 os Od All youths over 20 years to be paid same rates as men. HOLIDAYS. 7. The following days shall he observed as holidays:— First of January, Christmas Day, Birthday of the reigning- Sovereign, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Labor Day; also two other days to he mutually arranged between the companies and the Union. All work done on Christmas Day, Good Friday, or Sundays double time, and other holidays time and half. * A minimum of two hours’ pay shall be paid to all men who are caUed out to work if no work is proy’ijgfcl for them, and if called upon t'pktwprk, a minimum of four hours world-shall bo found. GENERAL CLAUSES. 8. 'Subject to the special provisions in this agreement expressed, the employers shall retain and have lull power to manage and control their own business and the conduct of their employees in connection therewith, and to make reasonable rules and regulations, not inconsistent with the provisions of this agreement, relating to the management thereof, and to the hiring, conduct, duties and dismissal of persons in their employment. 9. The following conditions shall be observed:

(1) Waiting time and delays in sotting men to work shall he avoided as far.as possible. (2) AVhen contracts >are let all. contractors shall pay the men employed by them the minimum rate of wages prescribed by this agreement. The employers shall make it a binding term of any such contract that the contractor shall comply with this condition. (3) Gloves, leggings, smocks and aprons shall be supplied by the -employers to such men as may require them. (4) Spells of a reasonable time shall he allowed at intervals'to men who are in a heated condition through working

outside to coo! before entering the freezing chamber. No deduction shall 'be made from the men’s wages on account of such shells.

(5) Spells for smoking shall be allowed to slaughter-house hands and freezing chamber hands. Such spells shall not exceed ten minutes, and shall be .given as nearly as conveniently may be at intervals of two hours.

UNDER-RATE WORKMEN. 10. (a.) Any woi'ker who considers himself incapable of earning the minimum wage in paragraph 8 hereof fixed, may be paid such lower wage as may from time t<> time be fixed on the application of the employee after twentyfours’ notice to the XJnion by the. Stipendiary Magistrate or such other person as the Court may from time to time appoint for that purpose, and such Magistrate or person in fixing such wage shall have regard to the worker’s capability, his past earnings and such other circumstances as such Stipendiary Magistrate or person may think fit to consider, after hearing such evidence and argument as the Union and employee..shall offer; and upon granting sucifi a certificate th t > Stipendiary Magistrate or other person shall forward notice thereof to the Inspector of Factories.

(b.) Whenever occasion arises lor so fixing an employee’s wage, it shall be so fixed for such period not exceeding six months as such Stipendiary Magistrate or other person shall determine, and after the expiration of the said period until fourteen days notice shall have been given to him by the Seeretary of the Union requiring him to have his wages again fixed in the man. nor proscribed by this clause. Provided that in the case, of any person whose wage is so fixed bv reason of old age or permanent disability it may be fixed for such, longer period as such Stipendiary Magistrate or other person shall think fit.

(e.) It shall, notwithstanding the foregoing, be. competent for an employee to agree with the President or Secretary of the Union upon such wage without having the same so fixed. (d.) It shall be the duty of the Union to give notice to the Inspector of Factories of every agreement made with an employee pursuant hereto. (e.) It shall be the duty of an employer before employing a man at such lower wage to examine the permit or agreement by which such wage is fixed. PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS.

11. If and so long as the rules of the Union permit any competent person now employed in this industrial district, and any person who may hereafter reside in this industrial district, and who is of good character, to become a member of the Union upon payment of an entrance fee not exceeding five shillings (os.), and of subsequent contributions, whether payable weekly or otherwise, net exceeding sixpence per week, upon a written application of such person stating his desire to join the Union, without ballot or other election, then and in such case employers shall employ members of the Union in preference to non-members, provided there are members of the Union equally qualified with non-mem-bers to perform the particular work and ready and willing to undertake it; but this shall not comj>ol on employer to dismiss any man now employed by him. _ . Where non-members of the Union arc given employment, they shall be allowed one week to join the Union, the onus to rest with the employer. 12. No employer shall in the engagement or dismissal of his men discriminate against members of the Union, or shall in the conduct of his business do anything directly or indirectly for the purpose of injuring the Union. Where members of the Union and 11011-members are employed together, thev shall work together in harmony, and shall receive equai pay for equal work.

13. The Union shall keep in some convenient place "within half-a-mile of the Chief Post-office a book to be called the ‘‘Employment lloo'k,” wherein shall be entered the names and exact addresses of all members of the 1 nion for the time, being out <if employment, with the description of the branch of the trade in which such journeyman claims to be proficient, and the names, addresses, and occupations of two previous employers by whom such journeyman shall have been employed. Immediately upon such workman obtaining employment a note thereof shall bo entered in such' book. The executive of the Union shall use their best endeavors to verify all the entries contained in such book, and shall be answerable as for a breach of this agreement in case any entry therein shall in any particular be false to their knowledge, or in ease they shall not have used reasonable endeavors to verity the same. Such book shall be. open to cverv employer without fee or charge, at all hours between S a.m. and 5 p.m. on every working day except matinclay and on that day between the hours of S a.m. and noon. If the Union shall fail to keep the employment hook in the manner provided in this clause, then and in such case, and so long as such failure shall continue, any employer may, if he so thinks lit, employ any person or persons, whether a member of the Union or not to perform the work required to be performed, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions. Notice in writing by registered letter shall be given by the Union to each employer of the place where such Employment Book is kept, and of any change in such place.