HOSPITAL WORKERS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23973, 14 June 1943, Page 6

HOSPITAL WORKERS

\ COURT DECLINES ; APPLICATION j AGAINST “ PIECEMEAL 1 ADJUSTMENT ” A joint application was made recently to the Arbitration Court by parties to the North Canterbury Hospital Board's Domestic Workers’ Agreement requesting its approval to a number of variations in the rates of remuneration of certain workers which were claimed to be necessary for the nurpose of adjusting an anomaly. “In the present case, if the adjustments proposed in the agreement were approved,” said Mr Justice TyndaM ip a judgment wherein the Court declined to grant the application, "the result would be that, for the purpose of fixing the wages of certain workers, the Institutions under the control of the board would be grouped with those under the control of the Auckland and Wellington Boards, while for the purpose of the working hours of the same classes of workers, the institutions would not be so grouped.” The Judge said he knew of no genera) rule or piactice in any industry undej which a particular class of workers in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch were placed in one category, and. the same class of workers in the rest of the Dominion were placed in a different industry. A further point which gave him concern was that the North Canterbun Board controlled a much larger numbni of secondary institutions, particularly in rural districts, than the Auckland and Wellington Boards “It appears to us to be difficult to differentiate in industrial matters between such institutions as the Kaikoura General Hospital and the Waikari General Hospital, which, we understand, come under the control of the North Canterbury Board,he said, "and numerous other institutions of similar size which are controlled by the smaller hospital boards throughout the country.” While the Court was not in a position to decide whether the New Zealand Hospital Boards’ domestic workers’ award did or did not contain certain amonalier which should be adjusted, the Court was of opinion that if the piecemeal adjustments proposed in the North Canterbury agreement were approved, such action would inevitably give rise to claims thai numerous anomalies had been created As it was not felt that the contemplated that the discretionarypowers should be used In such a way, the application was declined. Mr A L. Monteith, workers’ representative. dissented from the decision of the Court.