WAGE RATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 139, 14 June 1932, Page 3

WAGE RATES.

FURTHER REDUCTION? "TO LEVEL OF EXPORTS." STATEMENT FOR EMPLOYERS. PRESENT STANDARD "IMPOSSIBLE" (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, this day. A number of awards are shortly to come up for revision in Wellington in conciliation proceedings. They include the hotel workers', private hotel workers', shop assistants' and butchers' awards. Dates have been fixed and arrangements made. Questioned to-day regarding a statement in the "Christchurck Times" that the general feeling amongst employers was that it would not be in their own interests to attempt to make substantial reductions in minimum rates at the present time. Mr. T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, said: '"Naturally 110 employers are anxious to reduce wages, but the state of industry is such that it may he quite impossible to maintain the present level of wages. In fact it does appear to be impossible, because, after all, our export prices set the level of everything else, and sooner or later everything else must conform to that. Well-meaning employers may be anxious to maintain wages, but eventually all employers ana rnosi worKers will realise that we cannot continue with two separate standards, as at the present time."