WAGES FIXED

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 75, 31 March 1937, Page 8

WAGES FIXED

FARM AND STATION HANDS

TENTATIVE AGREEMENT

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) ■CHRISTCHURCH, March 30. An agreement has been reached between representatives of the New Zealand Workers' Union, the New Zealand Sheepowners' Federation, and the New Zealand Farmers'/Union governing rates of pay and general conditions for farm and station workers, other than those already covered by industrial agreements such as dairy farm-work-ers, shearers, and musterers. It is slated that the agreement is tentative pending'ratificationby Order in Council, with the publication of, which the agreement will become law.. ' The agreement) ■ it-is stated, provides for a minimum;rate- for .permanent employees of £2 2s 6d weekly and found, with ..the /addition ofl7s 6d weekly where board and lodging- is not provided. The wage for casual farm labourers: by the hour, is set down, at Is 8d hourly and found, and for harvesting work 2s hourly and found. For casual farm labourers engaged by the day the rate is 13s 4d daily and found or 16s if not found. No restriction is to be placed on the number of hours t& be worked, and provision is made for eighteen paid holidays annually, including statutory holidays. Youths' wages are to be Is hourly or 8s daily and found, or Is 3d hourly and 10s daily if not found. The agreement contains a clause dealing with the employment of underrate workers. The employers will not be empowered to charge rent for cottages occupied by their employees. An important provision sets out that there is to be no classification of labour on farms in any way.