WAGES INCREASE

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1944, Page 7

WAGES INCREASE

FOR PRINTING AND PRESS WORKERS. P.A. WELLINGTON, November 30. A complete agreement was reached to-day by the Conciliation Council appointed to consider a dispute in the newspaper publishing and printing industries. The agreement provides for an increase of 5s per week in the wages of journeymen, with corresponding adjustments of other wages, and it proposes that the award should have a term of two years. The previous award was made as the result of an agreement in October, 1937. The claims for the new award were made shortly before the outbreak of the war. When the Conciliation Council met in October, 1939, the workers’ representatives proposed that that Council should be adjourned sine die. As a result the last award has been in operation for seven years. The Council was occupied for nearty three days in making an exhaustive examination of the provisions of the award, and numerous amendments were made to bring the award into harmony with changes in industrial conditions that have occurred during the war period. The hours clause was amended to fix a 40 hours week in all branches of the industry, with provisions for the variation of working hours according to the requirements of various branches. The extra allowance for night workers was increased to 15s per week for adult workers and to 7s 6d for junior workes.