SHEARERS' PAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 16

SHEARERS' PAY.

LARGE INCREASES.

RATES FOR SHED HANDS. THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. New rates of pay for shearers and shed hands, representing a substantial advance on the scale operating for the 1935 season, are contained in a new Dominion-wide industrial agreement between the employers and workers, to operate from September 1, 1930, until March 31, 1939.

The rates for shearers for the 19361P37 season were agreed upon as follows, the rates for 1935-1930 being shown in parentheses:-—Shearing by machines: Not less than 27/ (19/0) a hundred, with rations; shearing by hand, 29/0 (19/0) a hundred, with rations; shearing lambs, 27/ (19/0) a hundred, with rations.

The rate for shearing stud sheep and hogget rams is to "be rate and a halt' and for other rams double the ordinary rate. Where shearers find themselves in rations, an allowance of 4/ a day is to be provided.

The rates of pay for shed hands for the 1936-1937 season, with the rates for 1935-1930 given in parentheses, are as follows:—Pressors: Bv the week, £4 (£2 0/); by tiie hour. 2/2 (1/4). All other shed hands: By the week, £3 10/ ( £2 1/); by the hour, 2/ (1/2).

Cooks.—For 12 men, or under, at tlie rate of £4 10/ a week, or 17/0 (10/10) a day, if employed for less than seven days. When more than 12 men are employed, the wages are to be increased by *2/0 a week for each additional man required to be cooked for. Where thp number exceeds 18, an assistant is to be employed: Where over 28 men are employed, the rate shall be by mutual agreement. Cooks' assistants will be paid at the rate of £3 15/ a week, or 15/ a day if employed for less than seven days. A presser may work at a piecework rate to be agreed upon with his employer, but is not to receive less than the minimum hourly rates specified for all the time actually worked. Where the worker finds himself in rations, he is to be paid 4/ a day extra. For the seasons 1937-1938 and 19381939 the rates for shearers and shed hands will be adjusted in accordance with the movements of wool prices, as determined by the Government Statistician s index numbers for the export prices of wool.