CASE FOR EMPLOYERS

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 48, 25 February 1921, Page 7

CASE FOR EMPLOYERS

AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT.

As there was reason to believe that the actuiS position in regard to the carpenters' dispute had not been clearly stated, a Post reporter made further inquiries to-day. As a result of these inquiries, the following official statement' was made on behalf of the Builders' and Compactors' Association:

"The published statements respecting carpenters' wages have not put the position quite clearly or correctly. The facts lire:

"(a) That the actual award rate for carpenters in Wellington and within a 50-mile radius at the present time is Is 9d per hour. Owing, it is believed, to the wages actually being paid to the men being well in excess of the award rate, plus* the several bonuses granted by the CouFt, the workers' union did not apply for any bonuses, thus leaving the award rate of wages as above. But had the union applied to the Court for the increases, the most they would be entitled to receive would be the basic wage of 2s per hour and bonuses, 3fd, as fixed by the Court in its Gisborne pronouncement of April last. That rate, 2a 3jjd per hour, is the awardrate fixed by the Auckland and a number of other awards. It will thus be seen that local employers havo been paying well in excess of award rates.• ■ :

"(b) Owing to the shortage of carpenters and to the large volume of building work that master builders were having pressed upon them, it was found that the men were taking fidvantags of the position by demanding increasingly higher rates of pay, and, in addition, that some builders, who were not members of the Master Builders' Union, and oven some who were, were prepared to pay abnormally high rates of wages in order to carry on their jobs. Under these circumstances the master builders experienced great unrest amongst their hands, and found they were willing to move from one job to another when tempted by more pay. ■ ! '

"Tt was therefore decided by the master builders, in order to establish some stability, that members should recognise a maximum wage of 2s 9d per hour for journeymen, and—the great majority of the Master Builders' Union have carried out that understanding. The fixing" of the 2s 8d as a maximum rate was recently confirmed by a, postal ballot of members, a large majority favouring the 2s 9d. ■ ./ ,

"While readily admitting that some men are being paid 3s or more per hour, 2s 9d is what may be called the .standard wage, and it is misleading to the public and not putting the position correctly to, say that the master builders have decided to reduce wages to 2s 9d."