WAGES TOO HIGH

Evening Star, Issue 19588, 21 June 1927, Page 2

WAGES TOO HIGH

PAINTERS AND APPRENTICES “The painters in Christchurch cannot take on apprentices under the present rate of wages,” said Mr E. J, Bell at the meeting of the combined apprenticeship committees in Christchurch recently. “We want to be placed on the same footing as other trades.” Mr Bell said he wished to enter a very vigorous protest against the attitude taken up by the department that “ the boss is paying, so it’s all right.” Ho said he did not mind paying the fees of his apprentices but he did object to the department’s attitude over the matter. The speaker pointed out that the employer had to pay a fortnight’s sick pay to an apprentice, but if that apprentice met with an accident--, oven in training for a bicycle race on Sunday morning—the employer had to pay the boy’s wages for the whole period he was away. “ There seems to be something grossly unfair about the whole thing,” added Mr Bell. “ There should be a system of common iustice so that we would net have these things forced on ns. We appealed to the court, but got only a slight reduction. The thing is that when we get this treatment from the dopartmeht other industries are likely to suffer in the same respect.’-’ Mr J. W. Roberts said that in a great many instances fhe boys could not afford to pay their fees at the Technical College, and under these circumstances would not attend tho college. The State should pay their fees. Another speaker said that, as the employers benefited they should pay the fees. In answer to a question as to why painters had to pay their apprentices £l3 10s a year more than other trades, Mr F. W. Rowley, Registrar of Apprentices, Wellington, said it was quite competent for a committee to appeal at any time to the court. Mr Bell’s answer to that was that they had already appealed to the court, and got onbr a slight reduction.