New regulations on wages gazetted

Press, 18 June 1976, Page 4

New regulations on wages gazetted

PA Wellington The new regulations giving legal effect to the amendments the Government agreed to make to its incomes policy were gazetted at 10.45 p.m. yesterday. The regulations in their final form were approved by the Executive Council at al meeting earlier in the day. but the printing of them was| not completed until the late! evening. The regulations make provision for the cost-of-living allowance settled by the Government to be calculated on all taxable earnings, not ( simply on ordinary pay as originally intended. But the maximum allow-'; ance payable in any one week remains $7. When the Government’s in-1 tentions were made known/ it indicated that the change I would be beneficial toj workers receiving less than; $lOO a week. The regulations make clear i that rates of remuneration! must not be increased by I introduction of a newt industrial award before Mav| 14. 1977. For the purposes of cal-1 culating rates of remunera-l tion. pay shall be considered to have been increased in cases where there has been any reduction in the hours or other period of work on which the remuneration was based, without there being a corresponding reduction in the rate of remuneration. For the purposes of the' regulations, remuneration will also be considered by the!

Government to have increased where there has been an increase in any minimum ’ period of paid travelling time ’ and where there has been an • increase in holiday entitlei menu ; The Industrial Commission is required to give its approval to any changes in an award during the period of the wage-freeze, whether they cover rates of remunerI at ion, reimbursing payments, or conditions of employment not involving rates of remuneration. In dealing with the provision for the commission to approve a new industrial agreement made during the period of the freeze which covers a “productivity agreement,” the regulations require that the agreement must incorporate changes in ‘the working practice of the ■workers; more efficient working as a result of the -changes; provision for payment at higher rates or for 'other benefits for the workers; and an undertaking by I the employer that there will , be no resulting increase in prices or charges in his j business. , After the productivity (agreement has been in force • with the commission’s ap-(p-oval for more than six !months, but no longer than seven months, the parties must produce evidence to the commission to show it is working. The regulations require the parties to show that operation of the agreement is resulting in more efficient working without a resulting I increase in prices or charges I in the business of the I employer, and that its oper-

ation is not contrary to the general purpose of the wageholding regulations. The regulations make provision for the commission to amend an existing award before the wage-freeze ends if "exceptional circumstances” apply. In permitting such an amendment to be made, (he commission must be satisfied that the effects of exceptional circumstances became apparent after June .30 last, that as a result of the circumstances substantial problems have arisen in the application of the award, that an amendment to it is the only way of resolving the problems, and that it is essential to the operation of any employer that an appropriate amendment be made without delay. The commission may also approve changes in cases where these will bring about the amalgamation of groups of workers under one agreement or provide for a composite agreement. In giving such approval, it must be satisfied that the proposed changes are in line with the general purpose of the regulations. Any agreements which may be changed with the authority of the commission during the period of the wage-freeze must be for a term of 12 months or more, unless the commission is satisfied special circumstances apply. Any industrial agreements now in operation which expire before the end of the wage-freeze on Mav 14, 1977, may be renegotiated in respect of reimbursements and conditions of employment not involving rates of remuneration.