Electricians to claim 20 p.c. next week

Press, 27 August 1977, Page 5

Electricians to claim 20 p.c. next week

( PA Wellington Negotiations on the electrical supply authorities award will take the limelight next week in the free wage bargaining debate after the breakdown of conciliation on the metal trades award. j The breakdown was not unexpected as industrial observers thought the parties involved in the metal trades award would be unlikely to settle until the outcome of the electrical supply authorities award was known. Electricians go into conciliation with claims of 20 per cent. This award has long been recognised as a trendsetter in the wages field. The Engineers’ Union with1 drew their claims for the metal trades award, repecting the employers’ offer of increases of between 5.1 and 7.1 per cent. The engineers originally claimed 20 per cent, but their advocate, Mr J. A. Boomer, said that this claim was modified in negotiation to 8.7 per cent across the board for

a those on award rates and 6 per cent for those on above j I award rates. ?l Most workers covered by I the award are on the lowest J rate where the employers’ “[final offer was 5.1 per cent. [This would have given such j workers a gross weekly wage iof $96.44 or $78.87 after lax. ’ This represented a gross in- ’ crease of $4.57 a week, of 5 which the Government took ’ $3.06 in tax. 1 The offer was totally inade- ’ quate and the union’s assessors had no hesitation in re- ■ jecting it, he said. r The union withdrew its ; claims which means union - members are free to take any protest action. The claims were later reJ filed, but no date for concilia- - tion was set. Mr Boomer said j r the union would report back 1 to members on the employers’ stand. z He will address a conferr ence of the union’s Auckland , regional district next week, s and the union’s national 7 council will meet the followr • ing week.