AWARD FOR AIR LINE PILOTS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26094, 22 April 1950, Page 6

AWARD FOR AIR LINE PILOTS

JUDGE’S COMMENT ON PROPOSED SALARIES j SOME HIGHER THAN THOSE OF CABINET MINISTERS (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 21. “The minimum salaries suggested for a number of workers are appreci- : ably in excess of salaries of Cabinet Ministers,” said Mr Justice Tyndall, when the proposed first award for North Island air line pilots was before the Arbitration Court to-day. Mr W. E. Anderson appeared for the National Airways Corporation and Tasman Empire Airways, Ltd., and Mr L. Alder- . ton represented the pilots. His Honour said some of the salaries were above the maximum salaries 1 of many heads of Government depart- ! ■ ments, such as the Commissioner of Transport and the Secretary of the Air : Department. They were well above ; those of such officers as the Director and Deputy-Director of Civil Aviation, i Complete agreement had been reached in the Conciliation Council, but the Court was bound to have regard to 1 the general purpose of the Economic Stabilisation Act, 1948, -which was to i promote the economic stability of i New Zealand. His Honour said it was necessary to < point out that when groups of work- ' ers had received an unusual increase • in remuneration in the past, there had sometimes been reactions among work- 1 ers and employers in general. 1 For the pilots, Mr Aiderton said a 1 commercial pilot was required to have ] very high, technical skill. Flying tech- i nique and types of aircraft had been in a state of flux, particularly since the end of the war, and it was essential for pilots to keep up with modern standards. The standard of medical fitness was superlative. On an average, a pilot’s flying career ended at the age of 45, and in many cases much earlier than that. Mr Aiderton said increased speeds and the development of new craft had been accompanied by an increase in noise, the volume of which had an effect on health, particularly on the hearing. The wage rates asked were to cover the worst conditions pilots were asked to fly in. The highest c grade_ payment in the claim started at I £1475. Both parties had agreed that s the award should start as from April, 1 1948.

Captain G. R. White, of the corporation, said he would benefit by £75 by the introduction of the award and Captain D. W. G. Keesing, of Tasman Empire Airways, said he would benefit by £75 a year and would be entitled to £1450 under the new scale.

Asked by his Honour if he knew that Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots were flying from Singapore to Hong Kong, were using identical aircraft to some in the National Airways Corporation and were doing comparable duties but receiving very much lower salaries than those of civil pilots, Captain Keesing said Air Force pilots were not required to hold the qualifications that civil pilots did. For the companies, Mr Anderson said there was no other group of workers comparable to pilots. Stabilisation would not be disturbed if the Court approved the award. Decision was reserved.