COTTON INDUSTRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 August 1929, Page 7

COTTON INDUSTRY

arbitrators* compromise

(Australian Press Assn.) (By Cable—Press Assn—Copyright.) LONDON, August 23. The announcement of the cotton award was made following upon a three hour conference between the parties. . The arbitrators Lords Rigby and Swift, said that the employers had made out a case for a reduction in wages. They agreed there were many factors contributing to the present serious depression in the industry. The employees contended there should not be a reduction in wages till the industry had put its house in order. The arbitrators’ task did not include the larger problem of the reorganisation of the industry which the Committee of Civil Research is investigating. The arbitrators were not convinced that a reduction in wages was the only remedy in the present state of affairs, but they were convinced that something must be done immediately to alleviate the present position, and were unanimous that there should be some reduction in wages.

The “Daily Herald states that under the award, half a million operatives will lose approximately 15 pence in the pound instead of the 2/6 demanded by employers.