MOTOR-BODY TRADE

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 121, 25 May 1933, Page 11

MOTOR-BODY TRADE

PIECEWORK BENEFITS

The introduction of piecework rates in the motor-body building industry in New Zealand has been put into operation, and is said to be proving beneficial to both employers and employees. The innovation was made in the hope that it would reduce costs, and it enables an employer, who finds work for his men on piecework rates, to ascertain exactly what his labour is going to'cost and to estimate accordingly. ' Piecework may be introduced ni any branch of the trade at rates and conditions agreed upon between employer and employee. While there are no. log . rates under this arrangement, there- is a provision that the worker may not earn less than 25 per cent, below the award rates. Thus, if the award rate is 2s an hour,-on a. piecework job the payment may not be lower than Is 6d an Hour, yet the worker may do the job in a time which would give him over award rales. The employees' assessors at the Conciliation Council" . proceedings, at which, the innovation was decided upon, said that they were quite willing to meet thq employers in the matter, and agreed that anything which would improve conditions in the trade, .which had suffered very ! severely through the depression, would be welcome. During the last two years every possible avenue has been investigated with the object of improving the condition of the industry, and there is already evidence that the new piecework arrangement is having a beneficial effect. It is believed that.the industry will have a strong ease to submit to the Tariff Commission in favour of measures which will result in more motor bodies being built in New Zealand..

Such of tho cable news on this pnEC as Is so handed hns .appeared in "Tlio Times" and Is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should lm understood that the opinions are not. those r>r "The Times" unless expressly stated lo be so,