AUCKLAND AGREEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 91, 18 April 1945, Page 6

AUCKLAND AGREEMENT

P.A. AUCKLAND, This Day. Following negotiations between representatives of the Sawmillers' Federation and the New Zealand Timber Workers' Union, it has been agreed that wages ■in the timber industry throughout the Dominion (except Westland, Nelson, and Marlbqrough) be increased in accordance with the recent pronouncement by the Arbitration Court on standard wages. . The new schedule of rates has been presented to the Court for ratification.

Reporting to this effect on his return from Wellington today, the secretary of the union, Mr. F. Craig, said that an increase of 3id an hour on all 1942 wages rates had been agreed to, while there were to be slight variations with respect to the wages schedule in the 1945 award, which became operative on January 1. The lowest rate in town establishments now is to be 2s 8d- an hour, and in the bush 2s B£d an hour, while wages were to go up through the semi-skilled and skilled classes to 3s 3id an hour for saw doctors. The rates for youths and females were to be increased by 4s a week in the towns and the pay of youths in the bush section was to go up from Is to Is- 6d a day.

Mr. Craig added that when the agreement was presented to the Court the President, Mr. Justice Tyndall, congratulated the parties on the amicable agreement reached, thus assisting the Court.