WHEAT PLANTING
WAGES OF MEN FROM CAMPS
(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 28. A declaration that soldiers released from camp for seasonal farm work would not be allowed to stipulate that their wages should be higher than the ruling rates was made by the Minister of Primary Production for War Purposes (Mr. Poison) to a conference representative of South Island farmers today "We will have to have a uniform rate," he said, "and it may be that the rate will have to be higher than you are contemplating." Representatives complained that the "Burnham agreement" among soldiers who were to be released for wheat planting was that they should receive £4 10s for a live-day week of nine hours daily "That is not right," commented the Minister. "The men must accept the ordinary conditions. These men will, however, have to be paid as temporary workers. We can easily settle this by making it a condition of their release from the army." A farmer said that producers had agreed to pay higher wages so as to get the labour. Chaos would reign if men from the army went on to farms and worked under different conditions from those of ordinary workers, said the Minister.
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Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1942, Page 3
Word Count
200WHEAT PLANTING Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 25, 29 July 1942, Page 3
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