RISE OPPOSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 172, 22 July 1940, Page 4

RISE OPPOSED.

EMPLOYERS' STAND.

NEVER RECOGNISED NEED. OTHER INCREASES CRITICISED (By Telegraph.— Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON", this day. Objection tr> the statement made by tin' employees* representative, "Mr. Robinson, that the employers also recognised that some increase should be made in

the existing rates of wages was stressed by Mr. J). I. -Maedonald, for the. employers, when the. hearing of the amplication by the New Zealand Painter* and Decorators' L'nion for a general order under the Kates of Wages Kmergency Regulations, fixing the Hi' wages in industry owing to the increase in the cost of living, was continued in the Arbitration Court to-dav.

.Mr. .Maedonald said he emphatically denied Mr. Robinson's claim and described his action in introducing it as a distortion of facts which were vastly different from those used in presenting evidence to the Court on the matter.

At the meeting between the New Zea-j land Employers' Federation and the Federation of Labour, the employers made it clear that they did not believe there were any grounds for increasing \va?e«, while on the other hand there were strong reasons for decreasing wages in the interests of certain industries. The employers were willing to leave this matter to the Court, but meantime they made a concession to the workers on procedure only. It went no further. "Lack Of Confidence." "The manner in which this situation has been misrepresented in the Court has brought about a lack of confidence in the representatives of the Federation of Labour, who are presenting the workers' ease," said Mr. Macdonald. "I sincerely hope that before these proceedings terminate the workers' representatives will withdraw those remarks to which I have objected and will readily admit the actual facts which are those outlined by the president of the Employers' Federation in his evidence." Mr. Macdonald went on to eay that the increase given to Auckland tramwaymen was not because the Auckland Transport Board agreed that there should be an 6 per cent rise, but because the workers' union broke the law, and in the case of coal miners, the increased wages bad been met by a direct subsidy from the Government. The vsatersiders' demands were met largely owing to the fact that the exsecretary of the union was a member of the Waterfront Commission.

Burden On Industry. ' After reviewing a number of trades in which increases had been "ranted by the Arbitration Court, counsel said that since 1937 there had been continual increases in rates of pay and, in the circumstances existing to-day the state of industry in the country could bear no more. Until there was a very marked difference between the rise in the cost of living and the rise in the wages index, when compared to the position at the outbreak of war. the Court should not be called upon again under the present regulations to consider an application for an increase in wages based on cost of living. "The employers of New Zealand are willing and anxious to help the Government in the production of those goods and services which the country needs at the present time," Mr. Macdonald concluded. "They feel that a general increase in wages would have an adverse effect on this effort, and knowing the splendid standard of living which the Xew Zealand wage earner enjoys, they claim not to be unreasonable in opposing this application for a general increase in wage rates based on the cost of living."