AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY

Evening Star, Issue 22683, 24 June 1937, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY

INCREASE IN BASIC WAGE AVERAGE OF FIVE SKILLINGS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright MELBOURNE, June 23. Increases in the basic wage, averaging 5s for all States and covering workers under Federal awards, were granted by the Commonwealth Arbitration Court to-day. The basic wage in the cities will now be as follows: —

The court’s judgment, which was unanimous, affects nearly the whole of industry connected with the metal trades, most State transport workers, and employees of manufacturing interests. The ratio of workers interested in New South Wales is about six in every 10. The remainder axe under State awards. The increase is estimated to cost the New South Wales Government an extra £500,000 a year. The increase wiE be appjied in two sections in order not to bear too heavily on industry. Half will be paid at the first pay in July and the other half from the first pay in October. The increase in the cases of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane amount to 6s a week, and in the eases of Adelaide, Perth, and Hobart 4s. About 300,000 persons will be affected in the Commonwealth. Maritime workers, who will receive an increase of £1 Is 6d a month, together with pastoral and gas employees, will receive the whole increase as from the first pay in July. Tire rates of pay for shearers and station hands have been raised all round 1 . The court, in announcing its decision, said: "After grave consideration we are of the opinion that the present degree of prosperity in the Commonwealth and the existing circumstances of the industry make desirable an appreciable increase in the basic wage.” A hurried estimate by the Commonwealth Statistician is that the workers in the Commonwealth will benefit by £6,230,000 a year.

Sydney £ s. 3 18 d. 0 Melbourne ... ... 3 15 0 •Adelaide 3 12 0 Perth 3 14 0 Hobart ... ... 3 14 0 Brisbane .. 3 14 0