CLOTHING TRADES

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 143, 20 June 1938, Page 11

CLOTHING TRADES

DOMINION AWARD

REPLY TO CRITICISM

COURT DEFENDED

Criticism by Mr. D. I. Macdonald, secretary of the Canterbury Employers' Association, of the Dominion clothing trades award which was issued recently by the second Court of Arbitration, was replied to today by Mr. F. D. Cornwcll, secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour. Mr. Cornwell contended that the rates of wages prescribed by the award gave no more than a bare living wage. He pointed out also that Judges of the Arbitration Court had stated repeatedly that an industry that could not pay a living wage did not deserve any consideration. Mr. Cornwell further contended that the Second Court's decision did not run counter to the decisions of the Court of Arbitration. "Mr. Macdonald," said Mr. Cornweil, "is reported to have declared: 'While in accordance' with the only policy which the Second Court seems to have —to increase wages and further restrict industry—some increase in wages was to be expected. The substantial increase granted to women will b:; calamitous for the industry and possibly for the workers who'depend on it for their livelihood.' He also says that in his opinion the two Courts are acting on an entirely different basis. Were it not for the seriousness of this statement one would be prepared to treat it with the contempt it deserves.

"In the first place, the last clothing trades award was made by Mr. Justice Page on September 17, 1936. and it provided for female apprentices and improvers being paid the Factories Act rate of wages, which were set out in the award, and journeywomen receiving £2 5s per week. WOOLLEN WORKERS' WAGES. "In the last woollen workers' award, issued by Mr. Justice Frazer on August 31, 1928, rates of wages were set out for girls which, while starting at the same rate as the clothing trades in the award which I have just quoted, did not give the 4s increment provided ! for by the Factories Act, 1936. As the Factories Act would operate from the date that it came into force, it would give the girls employed in woollen mills identically the same rates of wages as female apprentices and improvers in clothing factories.

"I have said that journeywomen in the clothing trade would receive £2 5s per week, and journeywomen in the clothing factory Is per hour for a 45-hour week, which brings them up to identically the same rate.

"The Court of Arbitration recently issued an award covering, amongst others, females employed in woollen mills, and gave them certain rises in wages bringing the journey women's rate up to £2 10s per week. The clothing trades award which, as I have pointed out before, was on all fours with the woollen workers' award, copied the rates issued by the other Court in so far as female workers were concerned, so that I cannot see that Mr. Macdonald has a great deal to complain about; he certainly cannot charge one Court with running contrary to the decisions of the other.

"Mr. Macdonald says that some increase was expected. If that is so, why didn't he offer it to the workers' representatives at the conciliation council? He might then have got an award more to his liking. People who go to the Court of Arbitration cocksure that they are going to get everything their own way very often fall, in, and it may be a lesson to Mr. Macdonald in the future not to be too sure of what is going to happen if a case is taken to the Court of Arbitration. He wants to remember that there are always two sides to a story, and the workers have an equal right with the employers to place their side before the Court, and that the Court, after weighing the evidence, issues the award.

QUESTION OF TARIFFS. "I am unable to read from the memorandum to the award where Mr. Justice Hunter says that the Court cannot be concerned with the ability of the industry to pay. What I read is that Mr. Justice Hunter says that the matter of tariffs is one for the Legislature and not for the Court. "It might be to Mr. Macdonald's advantage, seeing that he is a young advocate in industrial matters, to point out to him that Judges of the Arbitration Court, not only in this country but in Australia, have repeatedly stated that an industry that cannot pay a living wage does not deserve any consideration, and if Mr. Macdonald can argue that the rates of wages as set out in the clothing trades award give anything but a bare living wage to the workers concerned, I shall be pleased to hear it." I