Wage Increase For Coast Sawmill Workers Approved

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1947, Page 4

Wage Increase For Coast Sawmill Workers Approved

Higher rates of pay for sawmill workers in the combined Westland, Nelson and Marlborough district will be the outcome of an amendment to the award made this week by the Court of Arbitration. Advice of the' amendment was received by the seretary of the union, Mr F. L. Turley, yesterday but a copy tof the amend.ment has not yet come to hand. It is expected that the increase will be in the vicinity of 10s a ’week, thus maintaining the margin of timber workers’ wages above standard rates and bringing the workers of this district into line with North Island men who were granted a special wage increase of 10s last week.

Dissatisfaction at the granting of an extra 10s to North Island workers while no similar announcement was made with respect to sawmill workers in this district, has been general during the past, week, and branches have carried resolutions of protest at the delay. Timber workers throughout New Zealand have been on a wage rate 10s higher than the general rate, as a reward fox* production achievements, and, when the Arbitration Court recently granted an all-round increase of 10s per week, the New Zealand and Westland, Nelson and Marlborough Union lodged applications for another increase of 10s in order to retain their margin above the standard rates. The decision of the court in respect of North Island mill workers recognised this position, and it is expected that there will be a parallel increase for West Coast workers.