The Rural Voice, 1981-04, Page 32Labour Pool
holds seminar
A very successful seminar for agricul-
tural employers was held at the Hanover
Legion Hall March 5. It was sponsored by
the Canada Farm Labour Pool.
The 50 people in attendance heard
about a variety of Employment programs.
Murray Emke, manager of the Walkerton
Farm Labour Pool introduced Orville
Ketcheson of the Canada Employment
Centre, who outlined the territories and
services available. One point mentioned
was Walkerton would within the next
month handle their own unemployment
insurance claims, rather than send then
to Owen Sound.
The next speaker was Evelyn Mitchell
from the Canada Employment Centre in
Owen. Sound. Rather to the surprise of
many of the employers, we found that for
any help we employed, even on a part
time basis, unemployment, insurance
premiums have to be paid. The employee
who works 15 hours a week, or makes $63
per week, comes under this ruling. Now,
perhaps, even casual student labour will
fall under this category.
Mitchell also outlined the need for
urgency when making our separation
slips to employees when work ceases.
Gerry Bowles. , a chartered accountant,
outlined some of the methods of keeping
payrolls. In any event, it was stressed.
good records are necessary for the
protection , of the employer and the
employee.
The afternoon session dealt first with
Workmen's Compensation. This is a
large item in the industry, costing $525
pillion last year, and is funded totally
from industry which includes farming. A
representative of the Workmen's Com-
pensation Board outlined what conditions
should prevail when payment is request-
ed and what steps the employer has to
take to ensure the procedure is as
hassle -free as possible.
Gerry Krauter from OMAF spoke
on employer and employee relations. The
need for good communication and firm
understanding of what is expected from
everyone concerned was stressed.
The days are over when anybody has to
work to eat, and Krauter pointed out no
one has to work for farmers. They can
always go somewhere else, and unless
farmers make it a pleasant and satisfying
experience, they will not be able to hold
onto employees.
A panel discussion concerning the
three different segments of agriculture
was chaired by Murray Emke and had as
speakers Ron Wolfe representing the
beef farmer, Tom Clarke representing the
dairy farmer and Brian Ireland speaking
for the pork farmers. Each farmer gave
short reports on what he had done
personally to keep employees on the farm
and what success he had achieved.
The feeling most employers came away
with were ones of confusion regarding all
the forms and regulations that are
required to hire employees, and a clearer
understanding of what is expected of
them as employers.
Food shortages will
double food prices
While international food experts no
longer fear the serious food shortage
originally predicted Tor' 1981, a Canadian
federal official says by the year 2,000 food
shortages will double commodity prices.
The prediction was made by Gerald
Trant. senior assistant to the deputy
minister of agriculture. The shortages. he
explained at a Toronto meeting in March,
will mean a substantial boost to Canadian
farm exports. but also mean more
starving people in the world.
The reason being given for the re-
versal of the gloomy food shortage
predictions for 1981 are an unusually mild
winter in Europe and heavier planting
brought on by last year's tight grain
supplies.
Wheat, in particular, has benefit cd
from the unseasonal weather and a
larger -than -expected harvest is now
hoped for.
Pork consumption
has jumped
It doesn't appear beef prices will be
going down for the next two or three
years and consumers are being warned
they may have to substitute pork in thcir
diets, according to Gordon MacEachern.
an official in the B.C. ministry of
agriculture.
Two years ago annual consumption was
100 pounds per person in Canada for
beef, while pork was at 45 pounds. At the
time little hope was expressed of
convincing consumers to boost their pork
consumption to 50 pounds.
Now however, the average per capita
pork figures have jumped to 70 pounds
while beef has sunk to 80 pounds.
MacEachern attributes the public shift to
the high cost of beef and said it is unlikely
we will ever see beef below the SI per
pound price again.
He said until the North Amcrican beef
industry becomes more forage- based
cattlemen will have to struggle to keep
their share of the consumer market.
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RURAL VOICE/APRIL 1981 PG. 31