WAGES INCREASED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 175, 19 April 1940, Page 7

WAGES INCREASED

Caretakers, Cleaners And Lift Attendants A new award it'or cleaners, caretakers, ami lift attendants in the Wellington industrial district has been issued by the Court of Arbitration in M cllingtoii. In his memorandum, lhe president of the Court. Mr. Justice Tyndall, said the principal questions referred to the Court and decided related to definitions, hours of work, wages, holidays, implements am: materials, general conditions, and the application of the award. The hourly casual rate tor lilt attendants and cleaners of 2/4 had been retained, his Honour added, and lhe weekly wages lor cleaners and cleaner-lilt at* lendants had been increased from £4/6/Io £-1/8/4 a week. This increase brought the rate into line with certain previous decisions ot the Court, where a maigiil of 5/- a week had been established between (he weekly wage of a regular employee and the wages which wonk, be teeeived by a casual employee working al lhe casual hourly rale for 40 hours.. "Wilh regard io lift attendants. stud his Honour, "the work of Ihose employees lias, in the past, .been regarded as a distinctive field ,»i employment which, to some extent, has been specially availed of by partially crippled persons, or persons who, through some other form disability, are capable only of very light work. The minimum weekly wage fixed for lift attendants has- always been on lhe low side, and the Court has decided to iiiere.-ise lhe weekly rate lo £4/1/-. His Honour said the weekly wage of caretakers had been increased to £4 10/6. 11. was considered that this in-

crease was justified because caretakers were obliged in. most cases to sleep on the .premises, and could not take the advantage of weekend relaxation as other workers. The weekly wages of female cleaners had been increased in line with the increase to male cleaners. Religious Organizations. V formal application for exemption was made on behalf of churches and religious organizations, but their representative did not attend the hearing. lhe Court was unable to grant total e.xemp; lion, but drew attention to the Indus ria. Conciliation and Arbitration Act. 19-ffi. which stated that no award or industrial agreement shall affect lhe employment ot anv worker or was employed otherwise than for the direct or indirect pecuniary gain of the employer. "It a reli"'ious organization employs a worker for its direct, or indirect pecuniary gain, the award must apply to that worker. Ins Honour added. "On the other hand, if a worker is not employed for the direct or indirect pecuniary gain ot the organization, the award does not apply to such worker.” .Mr. A. L. -Monteith, workers representative, disagreed wilh the Court's decision as to wages, and said the award fixed wages for workers who were the lowest paid under awards. "The minimum rate which was awarded in April, .1938, was £4/i.l/- a week," Mr. Monteith added. "Today, to give the same upending power, or, in other words, to retain the standard of living of these workers, it would require a wage of at least: £4/8/4. I proposed a wage less than £4/8/4. but it: was not. acceptable to the majority of the Court. "Tlie wage awarded leaves these workers worse off by 4/- in two years, I am of lhe opinion that on the £4/1/- base, they were on the bread line. Today their position is less favourable than in 1938The 'basic wage awarded by this Court gave a higher standard of living to work-

er.s than has been awarded here. The cost, of living show« an increase of more than 16 per cent, from November, 1936 (when this basic wage was declared) to November, 1939 —a period of three years. Taking the basic wage at the end of three years, these workers are 4/4 a week below that: basic wage standard, and further increases in costs have taken (dace since November, 1939. Needless to say I dissent.from the wages awarded," said Air. Monteith,