FARM WAGES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 34, 19 November 1937, Page 6

FARM WAGES.

APPLICATION OF NEW RATES, ALL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS. Though it was stated in the “Guardian” recently that the new rates of wages for farm workers applied to all classes of such labour, farmers have been inclined to accept a statement made in the Christchurch papers that the rates applied only to workers on dairy farms. The position was cleared up this afternoon at a meeting of the Mid-Can-terbury Executive of the Farmers’ Union when' telephonic communication with Wellington established the correctness of the “Guardian’s” statement. The Dominion Secretary wrote in regard to the new rates of wages for agricultural w-orke-rs as from November 1. A doubt having been raised as to whether the rates applied to all agricultural workers or to dairy farm workers it was decided to communicate with the Union headquarters in Wellington by telephone to ascertain the position. The president spoke to headquarters and later stated that he had been told by the assistant Dominion secretary that the rates applied to all agricultural workers. This was definite and final. Mr C. A. Campion said the Union should protest against the rates being set without consultation with the wage payers. It amounted to dictatorship if such a thing could be done. In this the president agreed, and if was decided to make a protest.