Big Increase In Wages For Dredge Workers

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 September 1949, Page 4

Big Increase In Wages For Dredge Workers

' : Provided the agreement is ratified by‘the Arbitration Court, gold dredge workers in Westland and throughout the Dominion will receive a big increase in wages as a result of negotiations in Conciliation Council at Christchurch last week. The increase agreed upon by the parties, the New Zealand Gold Dredge Workers’ Union and the employers, is a general one of s|d an hour and as the industry is at present conducted on a 48-hour week basis, the gross increase for the employees will be over £ 1 per week, for all classes of workers. A complete agreement was reached at the Conciliation Council sitting and the only major change for the proposed new award governing the industry is in regard to wages. The clauses governing hours of work and general conditions were agreed to in substantially the same form as in the existing award, permitting the industry to continue on a 48-hour week basis, with penal rates for week-end work. It was agreed that the wages rise should be retrospective until June 1 last. The draft awards as agreed upon in Conciliation Council, will now go forward for ratification by the Arbitration Court and will not become operative until the court issues the new award.

The new daily wage for winchmen will be £ 1 15s 5d and the lowest daily rate will be £1 10s. Under the expired award the rates ranged from £1 7s 4d to £1 9s 8d a day. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr A. B. Rigg, presided at the sitting in Christchurch and the assessors were: —Employees: Messrs L. H. C. Paterson (Cromwell), J. E. Kennard (Alexandra), J. Meikle (Blackball), R. McDonald (Ikamatua), E. Logie (Nga» here), T. E. Lee (Kaniere), and J. E. Laing (Greymouth). Employers: Messrs J. W. Hannan, T. Blackie, A. V. McLuskiq, C, Watson (Greymouth), F. Forrester (Dunedin), W. Rodgers (Hokitika), and W. J. Radford (Hokitika).