INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 December 1936, Page 14

INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

COURT’S WAGE RULING [PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, December 19. A suggested explanation for the dictum by Mr. Justice Page that wages would not be increased beyond the 1931 level except in special circumstances, was given by Mr. Reardon, Conciliation Commissioner, during the hearing of a dispute. Mr. Reardon said that the Arbitration Court had found itself “snowed under” with work and had said that if parties to an application for a new award could not agree in conciliation on wages, then the 1931 rates would be awarded. The hours, however, would be decided if no agreement could be reached. There might be injustice in some cases, and there were certainly some anomalies on account of the changed conditions since 1931. The Court nevertheless took the view that it had not time to rectify anomalies, and aimed to catch up on its work, with the assistance of the interested parties, leaving consideration of what might be thought anomalies to some future occasion. TEA-ROOM WORKERS. WELLINGTON, December 18. At the request of the Arbitration Court the proposed award for New Zealand tea-room and restaurant workers was discussed for a second time in Conciliation Council to-day. Substantial agreement had been reached at the first Conciliation Council meeting, and to-day complete agreement was reached on a proposed new award based substantially on that of the 1931 award. Wages and conditions generally are to be the same as in that year’s award, the principal difference being an agreement for a 44 hour week, not more than eight hours to be worked on any one day without overtime. BRADFORD WAGE INCREASE. LONDON, December 17. At Bradford the Ministry of Labour’s recommendation for a 10 per cent, wage increase for wool operators was adopted at a joint meeting of employers and the union. About 180,000 are affected. They will also receive increased overtime. The total estimated cost is £35,000 a week.