INTERIM WAGE INCREASEPUBLIC SERVANTS’ POSITION HAS YET TO BE CLARIFIED

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1950, Page 3

INTERIM WAGE INCREASEPUBLIC SERVANTS’ POSITION HAS YET TO BE CLARIFIED

WELLINGTON, This Day (PA.). —Asked tonight about the position of public servants in relation to the Arbitration Court’s wage order, Mr G. T. Bolt, a member of the Public Service Commission, said that an application to the Government Service Tribunal would be necessary. It was hoped that an application could be agreed upon between the commission and representatives of the employees. ■, Mi’ Bolt said that railway workers woudl automatically receive an increase to the extent of the order. A Post and Telegraph Department representative said that the Post and Telegraph Tribunal was. an advisory body only. The procedure would be for the department to submit the matter to the Government for a decision. The Post apd Telegraph Employees’ Association had recenty been making representations to the Government on the wage question generally.

Proposed Demonstration The Trade Union Congress has repeated its invitation to the Federation of Labour to join in the Dominionwide demonstration planned by the congress for June 28, the day on which Parliament opens. A statement by the provisional secretary of the congress (Mr A. C. Melville) today, said: “It would appear that in the light of the interim wage increase granted by the Court of Arbitration, the negative reply by the Federation of Labour to our invitation to join forces in a protest against the lifting of subsidies was indeed premature. The action, of the national executive of the federation in pleading loss of earnings as a reason for declining our invitation to protest is inconsistent with the actions of its campaign committee, which in Auckland and Nelson asked Waterside Workers’ Union members to stop work to attend Mr‘Nash’s protest meetings, with a resultant loss of earnings for those workers. “On the whole, it does seem that in some ways the Federation of Labour was more militant with the Labour Government in office than with the National Government when we remember the organised welcome home to Mr Fraser, then Prime Minister, from his election toui’ of New Zealand after 10 years of office, and also the organised, march on Parliament in opposition to a businessmen’s association. “It is by no means too late at this stage to join forces with the Trade Union Congress in the mass protest which is being arranged for June 28.” Union Dissatisfaction A Christchurch message says that dissatisfaction with the amounts fixed by the interim order of the Arbitration Court increasing wages under awards and industrial agreements was expressed yesterday by officials of the Canterbury councils of the Federation of Labour and the Trade Union Congress. “The amount is not nearly enough

and will not satisfy the workers,” said Messrs H. G. Kilpatrick (president) and A. B. Grant (secretary),.of the Canterbury council of the j.Trade Union Congress.. “It will be tne task of all active and progressive unions to campaign for a really adequate increase, and it is . on-this matter of an .adequate amount that. the struggles of the industrial workers in the immediate future will centre.” “ ‘lnadequate by approximately half,’ would describe, generally the order of the court,” said Messrs P. M. Velvin (president). and R. H. McDonald (secretary), of the Trades Council of the Federation of Labour. “Even double the amount awarded would suffice only as a stop-gap in the swollen cost of living. ' We-en-dorse the case put forward by Mr _F. P. Walsh and consider that its merits exceed its results.” WATERSIDERS’ CLAIM ■ FOR FIFTY PER CENT. WAGE INCREASE WELLINGTON, June 12. — The claim of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union for a w r age increase of 2s an hour —50 per cent, on the present rate —will be heard by the Waterfront Industry Authority next week. The recently-reconstituted authority plans to admit the press to the hearing of the union’s case. This Will be the first sitting of the authority at which this course has been taken. The waterside workers’ representatives maintain that if the sittings are to be held in public a large body of workers from the Wellington waterfront may want to be present and that only the Town Hall may be big enough for the hearing. There is no indication, however, that the authority intends to provide for such an audience. The workers’ list of claims includes one for meal money at the rate of 4s instead of the present 2s 6d. The members of the authority are Judge Dalglish (chairman)’ and Messrs G. G. McFarlane and T. S. Marchington (employers’ nominees), and A. C. Dellaway and J., Flood (workers’ nominees). The hearing is expdeted to open on Tuesday of next week.