AUSTRALIAN WAGES

Grey River Argus, 19 November 1946, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN WAGES

PEGGING TO STOP Basic Rise Sought (Rec. 9.5). SYDNEY, Nov. 18. A correspondent of the Sydney Sun at Canberra stated: The pegging of wages, which is blamed by Union leaders for much of the current industrial unrest, is to be modified before Christmas, according to the Prime Minister, Mr J. B. Chifley. He was questioned about a flying visit which he paid to Melbourne during the week-end. Mr Chifley would not comment any further than to say that he had conferred with Labour officials.

It is, however, known, says the Sun’s correspondent, that a series of alternative methods ot amending the pegging regulations are being considered. Legislation is to be placed before Parliament against monetary inflation. This lays down only principles for wage pegging. The details of the pegging are to be fixed by regulation under the Act.

No Hurried Decision

ON BASIC WAGE.

MELBOURNE, November 18.

The inter-State executive of the Australasian Council of Trades Unions decided to apply to the Arbitration Court for an interim increase of £1 a week in the basic wage. The executive will also ask the court to increase all existing wage rates by £1 a week. This replaces the previous application by the council which was based on an interim review of the basic wage to overtake the loss of purchasing power in the workers wages as a consequence of the inadequacy of the regime'n upon which wage adjustments are calculated.. (Rec. 9.5.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 18. The Arbitration Court would not give an immediate decision on the application by the Australasian Council of Trades’ Unions for an interim one pound per week rise in the basic wage to meet higher living costs, stated Judge Drake-Brockman, in the Full Arbitration Court to-day. “The Court is still of the opinion that it must control its own procedure,” he added.

The application for an interim rise of one pound per week will be heard next Monday, and the hearing is expected to take three weeks.

Railwaymen’s Strike

PERTH, November 18.

Railway transport has now been paralysed for more than a week by the strike of railway workers. The men are refusing to operate Garrar engines which they claim are dangerous. The charge of instigating a strike levelled against the Locomotive Drivers’, Firemen’s and Cleaners’ Union has been found' to have been proved by the president of the Arbitration Court.

The complaint . against the union and separate complaints against 23 of the executive and delegates of the union were laid by the Commissioner of Railways. AH the charges were found to have been proved. The court withheld penalties in the meantime because it felt that the members of the union did not appreciate the proposition in the Government’s offer that the Garratt engines would be put into shape.