"ARBITRATION RATES"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 99, 23 October 1924, Page 3

"ARBITRATION RATES"

"In your last.night's issue 'appeared a statement by an • 'authority' on tho" subject, stating that the wages paid to Government Printing Offico employees were above 'the Arbitration Court rate,' " writes a correspondent. "This statemont should have read 'minimum' rate, which" is' being overpaid to 90 per cent, of the employees in the industry privately, duo to a shortage of workers, caused by the much higher rates of w^ges prevalent in Australia. Tho States' printers maintain that 'Arbitration wages' have nothing ■ to do with their case, as it" is an invariable custom of Gjovermrients in every part of the English-speaking world to .-pay a Jiigher rate of remuneration to their printing crafts' employees, as a higher grade of service is required. ■ They'■niaintain it is unfair'lo. quote wages'intended to apply to one grade of service, ancl apply it to another of different quality entirely. The employees' complaint against, the present Appeal Board is that it merely represents clerical knowledge and consequently cannot grasp the technical questions that arise in their appeals. Hence th.c desire expressed for a technically competent board to \ settle their dispute." .-. . I .