WAGES REDUCTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 32, 8 February 1922, Page 8

WAGES REDUCTIONS

MANGAHAO MEN STILL ON STRIKE

PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES'

ATTITUDE,

The workers employed by the Public Works Department on the construction of the hydro-electric works at Mangah&o are still out on strike, as a . protest against the reductions which have been made in their wages. Construction workers in" the employ of the Public Works Department are members of the New -Zealand Workers' Union, and notification that wages reductions were to be effected was' contained in the following letter received by the N.Z.W.U. last week from Mr. F. W. Furkert, Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department :— "I regret to have' to inform you by direction of the Minister of Public Works that, in accordance with the Public Expenditure Adjustment Bill, it becomes necessary to effect a reduction in the wages paid to workmen in the em- | ploy of the Public Works Department. "In accordance with section (6) of the Bill, the reduction to be effected in the case of -persona paid at an hourly or' daily rate shall be 8d s day or its equivalent, increased by 4d a day or its equivalent in cases where such rate of remuneration exceeds £190, and by a further 4d a day or its equivalent where such rate exceeds £320 per annum. "In effect this means that all workers receiving between £190 and £320, which covers the great bulk of workmen employed by this Department, will be subjected to a Reduction of Is a day. "In the case of co-opeTative workers, the basic wage for the ordinary labourer is ISs a day, and. prices per yard are basedi to enable an average workman to earn that amount. ' "The rates will, therefore, be reduced by one-fifteenth. "In order to save expenses, I have* wired to the various district engineers, instructing them to immediately notify the local unions', secretaries." Exactly what attitude Public Works employees in other parts of the Dominion will take up on the matter is not yet known, but the head office of the New Zealand Workers's Union is awaiting advice from secretaries of local unions. Should decisive action be called for the executive of the N.Z.W.U. will meet to consider the situation.