CLOTHING TRADE WORKERS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25364, 11 December 1947, Page 3

CLOTHING TRADE WORKERS

FURTHER WAGE INCREASES ' EXTRA 5/3 A WEEK GRANTED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 10. Further wage increases for clothing trade workers were announced by the Court of Arbitration to-day. The Court, after hearing claims put forward by the New Zealand Clothing Trade Employees’ Federation last week, ha» amended its decision on the application of the standard wage pronouncement to the industry. A further wage increase of 5s 3d a week has been granted to second-class chart cutters, stock-cutters, and trimmers, male machinists, examiners, pressers, and journeywomen under the New Zealand Clothing Trades Employees’ Award, the New Zealand (except Northern Industrial District), Dressmakers’ and Milliners' Award, and the New Zealand Shirt, White, and Silk Workers’ Award. , This increase, together with the 4s 9d granted by the Court in its former amendment of awards, brings the total increase since October 1 to the full 10s a week.

The minimum wage for adult male machinists is now £7 Is. and for iourneywomen £4 6s a week. Varying increases have been granted to juniors. The New Zealand Clothing Trade Employees’ Federation, at the Court hearing last week, asked for £7 3s 4d a week for adult males, and £4 6s for journeywomen. The employers agreed to £7 Is for adult males, but opposed the increase to £7 3s 4d, which would have been equivalent to 12s 4d a week increase.

Mr Justice Tyndall, in a memorandum to the Court’s order issued today, said that the workers’ application for a, review of the former amendment to thejiwards was made on the ground That both parties in 1946 agreed that adult male and female workers in ail sections of the garment industry should be recognised as skilled workers, and paid accordingly. His Honour said the Court, on September 25, of its own motion, issued an order amending the awards under Regulation 39C of the Economic Stabilisation Emergency Regulations. In effect, the submissions made last week to the Court in support of the application under Regulation 39C were in conflict with the submissions made on behalf of workers in general in the recent standard wage case. It was contended by the applicant workers’ organisation last week that the 1946 award for the clothing trade, which was the result of complete agreement between the parties, established a proper relationship between the rate® of remuneration of clothing trade workers and the rates of remuneration at that time of other classes of workers. This contention was not seriously disputed by the employers. Having regard especially to the fact that many classes of workers in industry were required to serve an apS renticeship period, the Court had now ecided to exercise its powers under Regulation 39A, and make further amendments to the award, said his Honour. This decision, however, was not to be regarded as a precedent in respect of industries in which conditions were not identical with those prevailing in the clothing industry. The new increases come into force, as agreed between the parties, on January 15, 1948.