CLERICAL WORKERS AWARD

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28160, 26 December 1956, Page 3

CLERICAL WORKERS AWARD

Increases For Senior Employees Increases of 3s 8d a week for male workers in or beyond their ninth year of service and Ils 9d a week for female workers in their eighth year of service and thereafter are made in a new clerical workers award which came into force on December 20. Under the new award wages, which were formerly based on age and experience, scale will be determined on the experience of the worker only. The wage increases are subject to the effect of the recent general wage order. The clause governing the minimum payment for hours worked on Sunday when the time worked is paid at double time rates has been altered to provide a minimum payment for four hours The previous award had set* a minimum of three hours. An additional provision in the terms of the hours of work is that a worker desiring to finish work at an earlier houi- than normal may. by agreement with the employer reduce the meal period to not less than 30 minutes. Nothing in the award is to apply to workers receiving more than £775 a year, excluding overtime payments and bonuses. That figure is an increase on the figure quoted in the previous award.

“Alterations have been made to the wage scales,” said the employers’ representative (Mr W. N. Hewitt) commenting on the award. “No evidence was called by the applicant and the change is, therefore, a purely arbitary decision to depart from the basic scale previously established and maintained by the parties. This comment applies with equal force to the exemption figure of £775 where the margin of approximately £lOO above the maximum male rate has been appreciably increased.

“It is certain that many clerical workers are being paid rates considerably above the new award minima,” he said. “The change in the basic rate is consequently not likely to affect legally such workers to any great extent. This fact should be considered when each employer reviews the wages of his own clerical staff.”