Big wages gain by storemen, packers

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33653, 1 October 1974, Page 3

Big wages gain by storemen, packers

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 30. A big gain in wages, allowances and conditions has been achieved by storemen and packers outside the Auckland industrial area, in an award ratified by the Industrial Commission.

In place of the 9 per cent limit in the Wage Adjustment Regulations, workers have been granted increases ranging from 15.9 per cent to 19.4 per cent, backdated to July 1 this year.

As well allowances for head storemen have been increased 22 per cent, and, pending a specific award, certified automotive partsmen’s allowances will rise 95 per cent. Minimum rates for youths under 17 have been increased 38 per cent. Youths between 17 and 19 have been given a general 50 per cent increase, the rise reaching 55 per cent for tho.se aged 18. All workers will now be given three weeks annual holidays, increasing to four weeks for shift workers. Provision is made for three days bereavement leave on the death of a wife, husband, child, mother or father, provided a worker has been on the job for six months. Sick leave provisions have been improved.

The general secretary of the Storemen and Packers Union (Mr P. J. Mansor) said today that the award was made after two days of public hearings in August

and a partial settlement in a conciliation council in June.

‘ It was, he said, a minimum acceptable relief of the serious anomaly between the wages of .storemen and packers and those of waterside workers. However, a number of urgent matters were still unresolved, including provisions for work in cold storage and adverse weather, for efficiency and incentive payments, and for redundancy. “The failure of the Industrial Commission to legislate in these areas detracted from the realistic attitude it showed to rates for youths and qualified automotive parts-men.

“In a free-bargaining situation, this failure would no doubt lead to on-the-job action by members,” said Mr Mansor.

Trade show.— The Minister of Trade and Industry (Mr Freer) yesterday afternoon opened the Australian trade display in Lower Hutt after more than a year's planning in a bid to sell more Australian goods to New Zealand. —(P.A.)