Agreement On Wages

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32324, 16 June 1970, Page 22

Agreement On Wages

(N.Z. Press Association) ! WELLINGTON, June 14. Agreement between j the State Services Co--ordinating Committee .and the Combined State Service. Organisations has resulted in wage increases being authorised for tradesmen and labourers and 'Certain related occupations in the State Services. The increases range from

Ale an hour to 14c an hour,

(according to occupation, and j are the negotiated application of a ruling-rates survey by the Labour Department in I February. ’ The chairman of the Cab inet Committee on the State Services (Mr Taiboys), said in a statement that the negotiations had been difficult and protracted. This was due mainly to the problems asso ciated with fitting the ruling rates survey result into the new procedures for regulai six-monthly reviews of wages and salaries provided for in last year’s State Services Re muneration Act.

New basic hourly rates for other occupations, which are payable from December 1, 1969, and the increase ovei previous rates are: electri cians, 128.4 c (rate from De cember ■l, 1969), 5.5 c increase; plumbers, 123.7 c, 7.7 c; fitters and boilermakers, 129.8 c, 11.5 c; motor mechanics, 121.9 c, 6.6 c; other trades, 120.2 c, 5.0 c; welders (fully qualified), 129.8 c, 14.0 c; labourers, 98.7 c, 4.1 c; skilled labourers, 100.4 c, 4.1 c. Where appropriate, special tradesmen’s margins of 1.25 c an hour, or for indentured tradesmen, 6.25fc an hour, will continue to be paid.

Apprentices and juniors will receive proportionate adjustments based either on the average movement in the tradesmen’s rates or on the increase for labourers. Appropriate adjustments will also be made in the supervisory levels. In view of the present increases it has been agreed that no further adjustment from the April half-yearly general survey will be made in the occupations affected. Mr Taiboys said the basic rates for carpenters from December 1, 1969, would be 117.7 cents an hour, but because of significant increases granted to these trades in outside industries early in May this year agreement was reached on a special interim adjustment in the State services as from May 7, 1970, when the basic rates for carpenters and painters would be increased to 120.2 c an hour. “The survey has also shown that regular payments in addition to wages are made to certain tradesmen outside the State services, mainly in the building and construction industries, in the form of exgratia payments for travelling time over and above the minimum award provisions,” Mr Tayboys said. "These payments affect the relationship between basic wage rates in the various trades and in terms of fair comparability with outside industry the corresponding occupations in the State service will be paid a special survey allowance ranging from 1.6 c an hour for plumbers to 3.5 c an hour for electricians. “Allowances for carpenters and painters will be fixed after the pending special survey in those trades.”