Deals beyond award trend

Press, 24 December 1985, Page 3

Deals beyond award trend

PA Auckland A rush of pay settlements — in some cases pushing to 35 per cent — are rocketing beyond the recognised award round trend of 15 to 16 per cent, the “New Zealand Herald” reports. In the northern industrial district alone thousands of private sector workers are benefiting from deals being negotiated before, during and after award bargaining.

One of the most spectacular advances has occurred on building sites, where carpenters have won a sl-an-nour allowance on top of their basic settlement of 15.5 per cent. That figure — albeit in return for the introduction of shift work — means a pay lift for the average carpenter of about 35 per cent.

The deal has had spin-offs which are lifting pay rates for other groups of workers. Carpenters other than those on building sites are also being paid the allowance and the 22,000-member New Zealand Labourers’ Union is pushing the same deal.

It is hitting individual companies with the claim and it is believed that a number have agreed to pay without requiring shift work. <.•

The over-all trend of high arid above-award settlements is not restricted to any one section of the workforce. Nor does it include the big gains made in youth rates in many awards. Traditionally active groups, such as drivers and factory boilermen, have been involved but many others including food industry employees and shop assistants have also had successes. One highly-placed industrial source says the reasons are as much to do with market forces and skilled labour shortages as with union pressure. “It is not just the union movement forcing the pace. Many employers are

worried about losing workers and therefore some speedily accept claims by workers.”

One employers’ source said, however: “It is just union blackmail. We are told (at the award talks) that unless we agreed to create an industry allowance they would lodge the claim with individual companies. That is blackmail.” Examples of high settlements are:

• Wine and spirit industry workers gained a 21.8 per cent award rise made up of a basic 15.5 per cent and a new industry allowance of $l5 a week.

• Employees in Farmers Trading Company stores throughout the country get increases of between 11.5 and 25 per cent before their wage talks early in the New Year.