“MORE PAY AND LESS WORK”

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23916, 7 April 1943, Page 2

“MORE PAY AND LESS WORK”

CONCILIATION COUNCIL DISCUSSION STATEMENTS BY EMPLOYERS’ REPRESENTATIVE “There is not a single worker to-day who does as much work as he did five years ago, said Mr W. E. Turianu a aConcuiation Council sitting jesterdav when proposed amendments to tne Shop Tailoring Trade Workers Award were submitted by the workers rep - sentatives "It is a case of more pay and less work all the time. There s no such thing now as a worker going to his boss and asking for a rise; instead he does it through the union. The ‘drones’ are causing dissatisfaction among the workers. No one can prove to me that any worker is warranted an increase in wages to-day. . Mr Turland said payment should be by results, not by the weekly wage to Mr Turland, Mr J. Roberts. one of the workers’ representatives. said that the tailoring industry was one of the most fortunate in tne Dominion, in that it had two systems of payment for its workers fhe weekly wage and the piece system, me latter could only mean payment by results. "My own opinion is that the piece-work system as operated in New Zealand is one of the fairest in the world.” continued Mr Roberts. “In your industry, you still have the option of paying by results if you find that you are not getting the output by the weekly wage system." Mr Turland: The ”' o rkers wont d 0 more. „ , Mr Roberts; I feel sure that your experience is not one which many other employers will bear out. “Far More Onerous”

"The few men that are left in the trade are driven to carry on,” said Mr P, O’Farrell (a workers’ representative). “The work has become far more onerous, and it is far harder for us, who are getting on in years, to carry on. I am quite sure that I myself am doing 25 per cent, more work to-day than I did five years ago.” The Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. Ritchie); That’s the answer to Mr Turland,

“My experience of methods of payment has been that a weekly wage has been paid in busy times, and piecework rates at slack times,” said Mr J. W. Thornton (an employers’ representative). “I wouldn’t touch a weekly wage with a 40-foot pole.” "If you can’t see any farther than next week with your business, how could you discuss rates of pay?” aSked Mr Turland.

Mr Roberts: But how do wages affect supplies? Mr Turland: We are losing workers, because we haven’t work for them. We won’t be a trade to discuss wages soon. Mr Turland said that the bespoke tailoring trade was in a very differefit position in England, where it had been protected. Goodwill of Workers

“You certainly don't get the goodwill of your workers when you keep them dowh to factory rates,” said Mr Roberts. “You’re bound to be busy after the war. Workers come to you because your trade has a higher status than the factory trade." “Don't you think that the individual can take care of the workers he needs?” asked Mr E. V. Smith. “At present, we’ve got too mahy workers for the amount of material available." When Mr Roberts said that he knew of no unemployment in the trade, Mr Smith contended that this ' was accounted for by the number of girls called up for the Army, and directed to ’essential industries, “If any girls have gene, they have done so voluntarily.” Mr Roberts replied. “There is a difference between a girl going voluntarily and being directed to industry. There’s a committee of old ladies who interview these girls and ‘humbug’ them. The girls are offered alternative propositions, and choose what looks like the lesser evil. They take advantage of the girls, and it’s unfair."