Pensioners to miss G.W.O. this year

Press, 26 May 1981, Page 1

Pensioners to miss G.W.O. this year

New Zealand’s 350,000 superannuitants will not get the 5 per cent general wage order granted by the Arbitration Court to wage and salary at least for the time being.

Wage and salary earners will get the 5 per cent increase next month, too late to be reflected in the Labour Department’s May quarterly survey, from which both the average wage and the movement of the superannuation is calculated. Superannuation movements are made in accordance with the Social Security Amendment Act (No

2), passed last year. The movement is measured after the May and November quarterly surveys. Unfortunately for superannuitants, the May survey was conducted for the week ending May 15, so that ’the 5 per cent wage increase will not show up in the average wage. Superannuitants can expect an increase about Auggust as a result of the May survey, but the 5 percent increase .will not show up until the November survey, which will be passed on to superannuitants early next year. By then with the ex-

pected rate of inflation, the value of the increase in real terms will have been eroded. The president of the Christchurch Beneficiaries’ and Superannuitants’ Association (Mr T. R. Hill) said last evening that he had written to the Minister of Finance (Mr Muldoon) ■‘As far as I’m concerned we’re entitled to it,” he said. He said that the 350,000 superanuitants represented a lot of votes. “There is enough power in the grey vote to seat or unseat any politician,” he said.