New award for most printers

Press, 8 December 1976, Page 6

New award for most printers

PA Wellington Printers and their employers yesterday reached agreement on a 3 per cent increase in the basic rate for printers employed by commercial firms. They also agreed to retain the margins for skill, and s a result tradesmen will receive increases of just over 4 per cent. This will increase the basic rate for tradesmen to $99.40. The agreement has yet to; go to the industrial commission for approval. The only section in which agreement has not been reached is the newspaper industry. The parties were not able to reach agreement on! the question of new technology. It is believed that the employers made substantial i offers to safeguard printers'! security of employment, re-' training, and the status of tradesmen. The union main- 1

i tained the employers wanted too much flexibility to intro- - duce people other than 1 ! tradesmen into the industry, t The employers’ final offer,! r rejected by the union, in-' -■eluded a 3 per cent wage .rise, restoration of margins,! J and an additional 2 per cent) s ;rise as the first step in a! . series of productivity-based! -[pay increases. These were to! Jbe fed gradually into the in-1 -idustry wage structure over! five years, in exchange for! flexibility in introducing new; technology. Railwavs gains 1 • The New Zealand Rail-' ways Department is reaping) some of the benefits lost by others after the withdrawal [of the inter-island ferry, Rangitira. Passenger traffic and bookings for the Christ-; mas season have shown a; [big increase on those for the; ! corresponding period last) 'year. — (PA)