FACTORY WAGES

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23477, 4 November 1941, Page 6

FACTORY WAGES

Girls Drawing £8 a Week INSTANCES GIVEN IN AUCKLAND (P s s ) AUCKLAND, November 3. instances of factory girls of 16 earning £3 10s a week and others who had not drawn less than £8 a week for the last six months were given by the placement officer, Mr J. R. Elsbury, at a meeting of the Auckland District Council of the National Council of Primary Production. He added that £5 a week was a common wage. Referring to the suggestion that girls. ft’ o . l * l the Auckland Training College might be available for farm work, Mr Elsbury pointed out that chain stores in Auckland were taking on about 250 extra girls for Christmas. The girls would far sooner take £2 10s a week for employment in the city, than take up farming, added Mr Elsbury. “It is difficult to get them away from the picture theatres, dance halls, and amenities of the city. However, the position is being investigated fully.” „ “The whole thing is simply preposterous, said Mr A. Sexton, who quoted examples of girls earning £5 17s a week. “In a useful but not essential industry one employer engaged six raw girls at £2 a week. He was informed that the award wage was £4 14s 6d a week, plus 5 per cent. One girl has collected more than £4O in back pay.” Another member of the council mentioned the case of inexperienced women who were receiving more than £2 18s a week for sewing buttons on to soldiers’ greatcoats. “And then they come off,” interjected another member.