TIMBER WORKERS’ WAGES

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24545, 19 April 1945, Page 4

TIMBER WORKERS’ WAGES

INCREASED RATES (P.A.) AUCKLAND. April 18. After negotiations between representatives of the Sawmillers’ Federation and the New Zealand Timber Workers’ Union, it has been agreed that wages in the timberindustry throughout the Dominion (except in Westland, Nelson and Marlborough) be increased in accordance with the recent pronouncement by the Arbitration Court on standard wages. The new schedule of rates has been presented to the Court for ratification. Reporting to this effect on his return from Wellington to-day, the secretary of the union (Mr P. Craig) said that an increase of 3|d an hour on all the 1942 wages rates had been agreed to, while there were to be slight variations with respect to the wages schedule in the 1945 award, which became operative on January 1. ■ The lowest rate in town establishments was now to be 2s 8d an hour, and in the bush 2s BJd, while wages were to go up through tire semi-skilled and skilled classes to 3s 3Jd an hour for saw doctors. The rates for youths and females were to' be increased by 4s a week in towns, and the pay of youths in the bush section was to go up from Is to Is 6d Mr Craig added that when the agreement was presented to the Court the president (Mr Justice Tyndall) congratulated the parties on the amicable agreement readied, thus assisting the Court,

WESTLAND UNION’S APPLICATION

HEARING ADJOURNED From Our Own Reporter

GREYMOUTH, April 18. No settlement was reached in the Westland Timber Workers’ Union’s application for a new award. The application was heard in the Arbitration Court at Wellington on Tuesday and to-day. The hearing was adjourned to permit the assessors to be present to present (their case.

RETURN OF MEN FROM OVERSEAS —♦ -

ARMY ADVICE TO RELATIVES ‘‘To prevent disappointment to relatives *>f men in drafts returning from overseas, it should be noted that next-of-kin will not be admitted to the Lyttelton wharf, and when special trains are run with personnel proceeding south, these trains do not stop at Christchurch," says a statement issued by Southern Military District Headquarters yesterday. “Next-of-kin are not permitted to travel on troops trains. To facilitate local soldiers meeting their next-of-kin special enclosures are provided outside the Christchurch railway station. “The Automobile Association and the Red Cross transport service will provide cars to convey Christchurch soldiers and their next-of-kin from the station to their homes. Next-of-kin who wish to use their own cars should obtain windscreen stickers from Southern Military,. District Headquarters or from the Automobile Association, and special parking areas will be provided on the south side of Moorhouse avenue for these cars, “Moorhouse avenue iwill be closed to other traffic."