STANDARD WAGES

Evening Star, Issue 22685, 26 June 1937, Page 11

STANDARD WAGES

EARLY PRONOUNCEMENT FROM COURT LEGISLATION HAS CAUSED AMALIES [Fee United Peess Association.] CHRISTCHURCH, Juno 25. Reverting to the principle which operated before 1931, the Arbitration Court will take an opportunity of making ft pronouncement early on the standard rates of wages for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled labour. This announcement was made by Mr Justice O’Regan at the end of the hearing of a case in Christchurch to-day. Anomalies which appeared during the hearing were discussed by Mr D. I. Macdonald, secretary of the Canterbury, Employers Association, at .His Honour’s suggestion. The hourly rates of pay were without any proper basis, it was stated, in industries where the restoration of tho 1931 wage level had followed the introduction of tho 40-hour week because of the varying weekly hours which had been worked previously. “The old court’s standard has been completely altered and disturbed in a way completely unfair to some classes of workers,” Mr Macdonald said. “ To-day we find semiskilled workers getting more than skilled workers. I consider that as soon as the Arbitration Court can get back to a basis of skill instead of a basis of some suppositious case or anomalies caused by the legislation, so soon will we get more settlement in Conciliation Council. “Tho court has had in mind for sotnc time the difficulties confronting parties to disputes owing to tho varying rates of wages which have como into operation,” His Honour stated. •“ For this reason, and because of the desirability of adopting a general principle such as was in operation before 1931 the court proposes to take an early opportunity, of. making a pronouncement on. the question. It does not appear practicable to deal with, the matter at the present stage, as no doubt the parties concerned will desire an opportunity of placing their views before the court “Accordingly,” His Honour added, “ the court proposes early in the next sitting in Auckland, to select what appear to be representatives disputes and to give the parties an opportunity of dealing with such cases with a view to enabling the court to make a pronouncement in settling such disputes on the general question of standard rates of wages for various classes of labour, skilled, semiskilled, and unskilled.” Tho dispute' being heard by the court was 'em" the Canterbury Saddle,' Harness, Collar, and Bagmakers and Canvas Workers’ award 1 . _ Mr J. Roberts, for the union, said that there was a great deal of uncertainty about settlements in the Conciliation Council because of the different rates of pay 1 awarded for the same class of work in different parts of the Dominion. This was “ banking up ” the work of the co.urt. The rate of 2s 5Jd offered for skilled workers in tho present dispute was hardly adequate in the light of wages recently awarded to skilled workers.

“The position of journeyman’s wages in this industry throughout New Zealand has become _ very disturbed through an anomaly in hasty legislation introduced last year,” said Mr Macdonald.- “By the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, the -Arbitration- Court, where it reduced hours to-40, was ■ required to make an order ■ preventing a reduction of the weekly wages. Because of this adjustment, the Finance Act restored the 1931 wages on this reduced basis of weekly hours.- The rates of pay, therefore, in the industry vary from 2s 5d for certain sections of workers in Auckland to 2s 7Jcl in the Wellington- award of last November. Before the reduction of hours, varying weekly hours were worked by different sections of the industry under this award in different parts of-the Dominion. These hours varied from 45 to 48. It is this anomaly which has given rise to the lack of uniformity in the wage rates to-day.” After the hearing Mr Macdonald suggested that action be taken on the lines shortly afterwards announced by His Honour. “Mr Roberts’s argument was not based on skill, the ability of the industry to pay, or the cost of living of the worker,” he said, referring to the union’s claim for higher vjages. “It was that because the legislation has forced the rate in on© centre up to 2s 7-]d the same rate should apply everywhere. Employers in Auckland are very unhappy about being compelled to pay the rate forced on them.” His Honour: Wo have been considering the advisability of making a declaration because we realise the effect it will have in facilitating settlements in the Conciliation Council. Mr Macdonald: The employers and the employees should have an opportunity of arguing the whole thing out before the court. The reference to the award rates throughout New Zealand shows that the disturbance of classification is absurd when practical standards are applied. After a short adjournment His Honour delivered his statement.