No automatic recovery of wage rise

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 2

No automatic recovery of wage rise

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, January’ 13-

Manufacturers may not automatically recover Wednesday’s 4 per cent general wage order payout in increased prices.

A spokesman for the Department of Trade and Industry said today that if items were subject to full price control, application must be made to the Price Tribunal for a price increase.

If items fell within category B of the Stabilisation of Prices Regulations, price rises could be passed on if the department were notified. Category A items, which are subject to full price control, include goods such as butter, tinned food, eggs, cigarettes, flour, soap and detergents.

Category B includes items such as clothing and footwear.

Manufacturers are not allowed to raise a price within six months of their last increase.

In spite of this, housewives will face a steep increase in housekeeping costs

[this week when about 230 grocery lines rise in price. The Price Tribunal authorised a number of companies before Christmas to increase prices. These included Wattie’s, General Foods. A.B. Consolidated, Griffins, Nestles, and Unilever. Prices- could have risen when Price Tribunal approval was given, but a number of firms elected to delay increases until this week.

The Wellington Working Women’s Alliance said today that the price rises would be a bitter welcome back to work for thousands of working people. A spokesman, Miss Sandra McCallum, said the latest price increases would add at least $1 a week to the average family food bill.

“These increases will hit working people with young families particularly hard at the time when all wage and salary earners have been denied the wage increases owing to them,” she said.