LOCAL BODY LABOURERS

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23477, 4 November 1941, Page 3

LOCAL BODY LABOURERS

AWARD PROCEEDINGS (P.A.) WELLINGTON; November 3. Pointing out that/only two points had been referred to the Court during the five years that-the New Zealand Local Body Labourers (rural section) Union had been subject to awards, matters hitherto in dispute having been settled by Conciliation Council, and that there had been no alterations in'the conditions of work. Mr H. J. Bishop, the employers’ representative in the Arbitration Court, during the hearing of proceedings for a new award to-day, made a strong plea for the stabilisation of wages in war time. These workers, he said, were in a better position than the labourers employed by commercial undertakings, and had had several increases in wages. He considered the proceedings were almost an abuse of the processes of the Court.

For the workers, Mr P. M. Butler said the claims for an award did not exceed what the Court provided in other awards. He asked that the rate of payment to be made by the Court in the pending award for builders and general .labourers be made the rate in the present instance. Workers, other than permanent, should be paid not less than £5 a week, said Mr Butler, who added that the employers’ offer was £4 8s 4d. The Court reserved its decision.