MINIMUM WAGE

Dominion, Volume 18, Issue 53, 27 November 1923, Page 3

MINIMUM WAGE

QUESTION OF LABOURER’S PAY. At the Conciliation Council sitting yesterday to eons’der the building trades and general labourers’ disputes the main discussion was on the question of minimum pay, which was proposed at 2s. per hour for tho lowest paid unskilled worker. Mr. J. M. Campbell (workers’ assessor) said their greatest trouble was with the small employers—he had to pull up about a dozen such employers last year for not paying the minimum wage. They could not agree to the counter-claims, considering that there was no advance offered on Is. BJd. an hour. Mr. A. Fletcher (employers’ assessor) thought it. would be best to refer wages to the Court and leave to that tribunal the onus of fixing the minimum pay. Mr. AV. Grenfell (employers’ agent) pointed out that the counter-claims were practically the same as the old award. They objected to the preference Mr. Campbell contended that labourers required preference more than any other workers. Mr. Fletcher said that a preference clause for general labourers was a farce. '

Mr. J. Read said that all tho union was concerned in was that it protected tho labourer, and it was only right he should contribute to tho cost. Ho thought the principle of preference should be applied to all workers. Mr. Grenfell urged that no obstacle should be put in the way of any man securing work, and the preference clause was an obstacle. Mr. Read contended that the Court’s minimum was far too low, and ' said that organised labour was going to make an effort throughout New Zealand to have the standard raised. Mr. Read said that the bulk of the employers paid more than the minimum. Mr. Fletcher agreed, that was so, but they wanted a margin, so that they could assess the value of the incompetent worker. Mr. Campbell did not believe that any important firm would employ a labourer at a wage under 2s. an hour, because the minimum man was generally an incompetent, if not a derelict. . Air. Grenfell said that one set of employers could not. be expected to go above the Court’s minimum in an agreement for an award. Air. Read admitted that might be so, but said his side was determined to’ have the whole matter out in the Court. , It was. decided to refer the. wlio'e question of pay to tiro Arbitration Court.