SKILLED WORKERS

Evening Star, Issue 18336, 25 July 1923, Page 9

SKILLED WORKERS

WAGES OF CARPENTERS. MATTER OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND. [Special to the ' Star.’] CHRISTCHURCH, July 24. _ Trade nnionists are keenly interested in the latest decision of the Arbit'ralion Court. “ The pay of skilled workers is not to be increased,” said u union official this morning; “that is perfectly clear from the terms of the dominion award under which the carpenters and joiners will now lie employed. We have been waiting for a pronouncement on the point for some considerable time, as it has been contended that there is not enough difference between the standard set for skilled workers in New Zealand and the standard set for unskilled workers. Here it is 15 per cent. In America it is as modi as 100 per cent. Tim decision mentis that there will be a falling off in .Arbitration Court litigation. Members of other skilled trade unions, seeing that the carpenters failed to obtain a rise, will not be keen to go to the court in future. However, we are, in a very peculiar position in this country. The great majority of skilled workers are receiving more than the Arbi I ration Court wage. Carpenters, for instance, receive 2s 6d an hour instead of 2s lid. Hie reason for this is the shortage of skilled workers, a shortage that tends to increase. Boys are loth to put up with the restrictions of an apprenticeship, consequently they go to swell the ranks of the unskilled; and the men who have knowledge of a trade can get almost any wage they like. It will therefore he seen that the court’s decision will not lower the production cost, such as in house building. The wages of carpenters are a matter of supply and demand. The court has already expressed the opinion that there is nob a wide enough margin between the wage of the skilled man and tin- wage of the unskilled man. It will now lie interesting to see whether it will proceed to lower the rate fixed for tha unskilled. In that direction, however, there is an obstacle. The fair living wage regarded by the court is about £3 17 s a week. It cannot go below that. ’Anyway the whole wage position in New Zealand has some curious features. Particularly beneficial to the worker is the increasing acceptance of the award rate as a hare minimum, and not as "a maximum.”