Across-board pay likely’

Press, 15 July 1978, Page 6

Across-board pay likely’

PA Wellington Trade union leaders expect the general wage order to be paid from Monday to be applied across the board in spite of Government regulations. “Those who don’t pay up will be in for some strife,” ’ said the Wellington Trades Council president (Mr P. : Kelly) yesterdayThere was evidence that manv Wellington employers would ignore the order’s • restriction, he said. ! Because of legislation passed last year, up to 1 400.000 people not covered by ' registered industrial agree- > ments and workers paid ■ above-award rates are not • included among those legally • i specified to get the order. • Mr Kelly said the opinion was shared by employers and I trade unions that the Govern- . ment should amend the law I to enable the general wage ■ order to cover all wages and . salaries, as bad been the case

with previous orders. The secretary of the Otago Trades Council (Mr P. O’Flanagan) said from Dunedin yesterday that word was coming from employers that ' they intended from Monday to bring their salaried staffs and above-award workers in . line with all other workers in applying the order. The Canterbury Trades Council secretary (Mr L. G. Morel) said emplovers were accepting that an obvious injustice was being done to parts of their work forces and were not prepared to go along with it. “There is an obvious injus- [ tice and if nothing is done to ' remove the anomaly it is obvious that there will be many people who will break the law.” he said. “This is again a case of a bad law being ignored by the [ peoole.” Mr Morel said. The director of the Aucki land Employers’ Association [ (Mr R. Thompson) said yesterday that employers were not being advised to pay out the order across the board. “What we are really saying to them is that there is nothing except the ‘l2-month rule’ legally to stop them.” he said. The rule was introduced bv the Government in last year's (Wage Adjustment Regulation I No. 13. It prohibits wage rises during less than a 121 month period. , The general wage order announced by the Arbitration Court had been gazetted and would apnlv from Monday, (said the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) yesterday. Pointing the bone Persons who wrongly . claim they are on the register of osteopaths will be - liable to a fine up to $2OO under a bill introduced in Parliament yesterday b> the Minister of Health (Mr Gill). The New Zealand Register of Osteopaths Incorporated Bill does not stop anyone | not on the register from practising, but such practitioners will not be able to use its name. Mr Gil! said the bill resulted, from a request by the osteopaths, i— (PA). .