INCREASES IN WAGES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 August 1920, Page 3

INCREASES IN WAGES

THE POLICY OF THE COURT,

EMPLOYERS’ CRITICISM,

FUTILITY OE BONUSES,

Some caustic remarks about the increased basic wage and “cost of living” bonuses granted by the Arbitration Court were contained in the report presented to the annual meeting of the Canterbury Employers’ Association. After recounting the bonuses, the report stated : —“This process of meeting the increase in the cost of living is hopelessly futile. These advances are based tfpon the Government statistician’s computations regarding the increases in the prices of commodities, etc. It is suggested that the statistician should report upon how far the January increase of 4s was responsible for the necessity of the 6s increase in May, and whether the May increase of 5s will be responsible for a 9s increase in the next half-yearly period. Such a report should he of value, and perhaps disperse the present ostrich-like habits. The automatic increasing of the basic wage by the Court —whether under the provisions of the Act, or despite the provisions of tire Act, is not clear —is a""much more serious matter, and the two systems, together entari great hardship on (he consuming pub--Ic, especially to these/on .fixed incomes. It has also resulted in applications by unions becoming so numerous that employers interested have to he notified by advertisement," instead of by registered letter, as previously. This, - coinciding with short notice, means that the Court in many cases deals with a matter and imposes increases upon employers who have had no opportunity of considering the application. The May increase in the basic wage and cost of living bonus re presents from 3d to 4d per hour.”