The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February l6, l945. WAGES.

Grey River Argus, 16 February 1945, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February l6, l945. WAGES.

The Arbitration Court lias announced its intention of making, as early as possible, a pronouncement on pay rates for workers. Its object., as the Prime Minister ha? stated, is to maintain a stable relation between various wages categories and between wages and prices generally. That was actually the object in 1942 when the Court was. by the Stabilisation Regulations, prevented from altering wages, except within very narrow margins, strictly in accordance with variations in a wartime retail prices index then specially compiled. The index contains 239 items of standard household expenditure, divided into live groups, and weighted so that food represents 39 per cent., rent 25, clothing and footwear 15, fuel, light and other items 14 per cent. Only if the general price level has shown a 5 per cent.variation has the Court been empowered accordingly to readjust wages, up or down, as the case might he. Indexed items have shown in the result no great variations, excepting for meat, milk, eggs, fruit, potatoes and other seasonal supplies- But there have been shortages, such as fuel, entailing extra outlay on substitutes, as for gas or electricity. Sugar, butter, and other things are rationed, while clothing has become dearer, and electricity consumption has gone up enormously. Thus prices might be fixed, but quantities required might have to be much greater in the case of substitute commodities. However, the most important variations have not, been these, but the ones as between the wages of different groups of workers, consequent on some having been readjusted and others not having been. That disparity has been illustrated by disputes in .several industries. The Court lays stress on the fact that its pronouncement will contemplate the thrice established categories of skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled labour, the variation in that respect being doubtless, that the margins between these different categories have, tended to be unduly curtailed. There is general agreement that those classes of workers on lower wages are overdue for a readjustment- Yet, when the Employers’ Federation pretends to agree, whilst opposing in general the principle of removing disparities, its bona tides is questionable. The only workers it mentions as qualified in its estimate for readjustment are Government employees! The Federation, however, is being given ample time to prepare a case for the Court,’ which is suspending any other cases for readjustment until it is able to make its general pronouncement. Farm workers are among those due for consideration, but the Government is going to see 4hat their employers shall not sustain any loss thereby. The stabilisation system has been very efficient and serviceable. Even the Employers’ Federation now says so, although it was silent or critical when the question was one. of raising prices. The railwaymen’s allowance of an extra threepence half-penny to fivepence halfpenny per ’ hour and salary increases will entail some readjustments in transport costs, but the Government may delay this until the whole stabilisation system has been readjusted as required by gradual variations in the economic position during the period since stabilisation was instituted. One fact, however, is obvious. The Court must improve wages and other remuneration rates in a great many cases. This is the chief significance attaching to its prospective pronouncement. The Prime Minister’s latest announcement of a general review of the public servants’ salaries points the same wav.