APPRENTICES’ WAGES

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 160, 3 April 1937, Page 14

APPRENTICES’ WAGES

Arbitration Court Decision

By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, April 2. Hundreds of young workers in industry will be affected by a decision of the Arbitration Court announced today on the extgnt to which apprenticeship orders are governed by amendments to the Factories Act. The opinion is given by Mr. Justice Page in response to an application by the District Registrar of Apprentices, Wellington, for .an interpretation of the apprenticeship order in the Wellington furniture trade.

Two questions were submitted to the court. The applicant pointed out that the amended section of the Finance Act, 1936, directed tliat “the minimum rates of wages payable to apprentices shall be as follows: —First year, 15/a week; second year, £l/2/6; third year, £l/10/-; fourth year, £l/17/6; fifth year, £2/5/-.” The applicant therefore asked:' (1) “Are the rates of wages provided as set out above which are embodied in existing contracts of apprenticeship subject to the provisions of section 32 of the Factories Act. 1921-22, as amended by section 12 of the Factories Amendment Act, 1936?” (2) “Are the rates of wages in a contract of apprenticeship entered into after July 1, 1936, under the same apprenticeship Order subject to the half-yearly increments as provided by section 12 of the Factories Amendment Act, 1936?” Mr. Justice Page stated that the court was prohibited from prescribing in an apprenticeship order hours of work less favourable than those prescribed in the Factories Act, but there was no such provision on the question of wages. There was nothing in the Factories Amendment Act, 1936, to suggest that apprenticeship orders validly made in pursuance of the Apprentices Act, 1923, or contracts made prior to the coming into force of the Factories Act were to be read subject to the provisions of that Act. The answer to the first quetsion, therefore, was “no.” In reply to the second question, his Honour said he found himself unable to agree with the contention of Mr. T. O. Bishop, for the employers, as to the fixing of a minimum wage of 15/- a week, with increments of 4/- every six months until the end of the third year of employment, and after that not less than £2 a week. Mr. Bishop had contended that it was not intended to provide that every person in a factory should receive half-yearly increments during the first three years of employment irrespective of the wage agreed on with the employer. In his Honour’s opinion the addition in the amended section of the words “on the agreed rate” required that tire half-yearly increments provided for in the section should be based and paid on the rate agreed upon and not upon the minimum rate. The answer to the second question therefore was “Yes.”