N.Z. WAGE RATES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 38, 14 February 1945, Page 6

N.Z. WAGE RATES

A PRONOUNCEMENT

INTENTION OF COURT

Consequent upon the amendment to the Economic Stabilisation Regulations, the Court of Arbitration in a statement to-day indicated its intention to make a pronouncement about the rates of pay for. unskilled, semiskilled and skilled workers and to make no further awards, or approve any more agreements, until the pronouncement had been made. The Dominion dispute of the woollen mills, which was set down for hearing to-day, in the light of this decision, adjourned sine die. It is expected that a date in the first week in March will be fixed by the Court to hear representations about wage rates. Mr. Justice Tyndall said that before making any pronouncement, the Court wished to give representatives of Dominion organisations of employers. and workers an opportunity of expressing their views on the general . question of rates of wages for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour. The Court desired that such organisations should make arrangements for the appointment of not more than three advocates for each side, and preferably, one leadIng advocate for each side. He gave as the reason for not making any awards between to-day and the date the pronouncement was made, that the Court would have no power to amend such awards, as special power to amend awards to bring them into line with any new standard rates that might be fixed was applicable only to awards in force on the date of the commencement of the regulations, February 13.