RESTORING WAGES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 254, 23 July 1936, Page 10

RESTORING WAGES

Public Servants and Other Workers BACK TO 1931 LEVEL Effect of General Order Abrogated SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES • • ■ <> Comprehensive proposals for restoring all salaries and wages from July 1 to the rates ruling at March 31, 1931, are embodied in the Finance Bill which was introduced by Gov-ernor-General’s message in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Specific arrangements are made for the restoration of the cuts to members of the Public Service and to workers generally. One clause provides that it will be an offence, punishable by a maximum fine of £25, for an employer to dismiss a worker in order io deprive him of the benefits of increased wages or reduced working hours. The burden of proving that the dismissal of a worker is not in contravention of the legislation will be on the employer.

All salaries and allowances payable out of public moneys which, being expressly fixed by statute, were reduced by the operation of Part 1 of the Finance Act, 1931, or Part 1 of the National Expenditure Adjustment Act, 1932, are to be restored from July 1 this year to the rates in force immediately before April 1, 1931. Where rates of salaries in the Public Service, Education Service and Railways Department are fixed by classification schemes, the classified rates in force prior to the reductions made by the Finance Act, 1931, shall be restored as from July 1. Every person holding any office or position under a classification scheme will be entitled to the salary paid for that office or position before the cuts were imposed. The rates of wages fixed under the recent Public Works agreement will not be affected by the legislation. Similarly officers of th e State Advances Corporation and the Broadcasting Service who became civil servants following the passage of legislation in the earlier part of this session are not covered by the provisions of the Bill. Unclassified Workers.

In the case of State employees whose salaries are not covered by statute or by a classification scheme, increases will be made so that their salaries will be restored to the rates appropriate to the various offices or positions on March 31, 1931. Employees appointed to offices or positions created since that date will have their rates of increase determined by the Minister of Finance. Where salaries are paid by an education board, the governing body of a secondary school, a university college or other Institution, the governing body concerned will be charged with granting increases for any position held on July 1 to the rate for a similar position appropriate on March 31, 1931. The application of the legislation can be extended by Order-in-Council to the Cook Islands and Samoan public services.

The Bill stipulates that nothing in its terms shall operate to reduce the rate of salary payable in respect of any office or position immediately before July 1. All salary increases payable out of public moneys may be granted in anticipation of appropriation by Parliament. Any questions in dispute regarding the application otf the legislation will be settled by the Minister of Finance. In addition, any necessary regulations may be made by Order-in-Council and may provide for the adjustment of anomalies. Abrogation of General Order. Part II of the Bill deals with rates of remuneration payable under awards, industcial agreements, apprenticeship orders and contracts of service. It is stated that these rates of remuneration include time and piece wages and overtime and other special payments. Reference is made to the general order issued by the Arbitration Court on May 29, 1931, reducing the wages of workers under awards, industrial agreements and apprenticeship orders then in force, and the Bill announces the desire of the Government to abrogate the effect of the order as from July 1. It is provided iu all cases that the rates of pay in force before the general order took effect shall be restored. In cases where new awards or agreements have been made since the opera-, tion of the general order, rates, of wages will be restored to the original 1931 scale. In the case of any dispute as to the rates to be paid, the question shall be determined by a conciliation commissioner. In the case of awards or agreements which were not in operation when the general order came into effect, application can be made to the Arbitration Court within three months of the passing of the Bill by any party bound by the award for alterations in the rates of remuneration to the 1931 standard. However, it is provided that the court will not have the power to reduce any rates of remuneration under such applications. Where awards have expired since the application of the general order the 1931 rates will be restored. Contracts of Service.

Provision is also made for restoring rates of wages payable under contracts of service not covered by awards, industrial agreements or apprenticeship orders. If a person is employed under a contract of service at July 1, 1936, and employed by the same employer at work of substantially the same kind as on March 31, 1931, his wages will be increased to the 1931 level. Iu other cases workers employed under a contract of service will be entitled to a rate not lower than that which would have been paid for similar services on March 31, 1931. If disputes arise concerning the rate of remuneration they will be settled by a magistrate or an inspector of factories. In all cases where a worker is underpaid in the amount of restoration, provision is made for him to recover the amount in default. It is also a general provision that existing rates of wages must not be reduced.

As in the case of salary restorations in the Public Service, regulations may be made by Order-in-Council to give effect to the legislation and for the adjustment of any anomalies.

A measure to facilitate the printing and publication of regulations separately from the Gazette was introduced in the House of Representatives yesterday, by the Attorney-General, Hon. H. G. R. Mason, and put through ah stages. Mr. Mason explained that for convenience, particularly of country legal practitioners, it had been found .desirable to publish regulations in a form similar to .the statutes.