WAR BONUSES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17523, 5 July 1917, Page 9

WAR BONUSES.

TO HARBOUR BOARD EMPLOYEES

INCREASES MADE PERMANENT.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board, at its meeting yesterday, considered the recommendations of the Harbour Improvement Committee concerning tho applications for increase of salaries and wages by tho board's employees. Tho committee, which consists of every member of the board, reported as follows: Your committee, having carefuly considercd the whole question of the salaries and wages paid to the boa*l s employees, begs to recommend:(a) That all employees of the board who last year received a bonus ot 1U per cent should have this amount added permanently to their regular wages. (b) That all the employees ot tho board receive an increase of 5 per cent on their respective salaries or wages, with the following exceptions:—(l) That tho harbour master, pilots and masters, and all engineers and enginedrivers in permanent charge of machinery receive a 10 per cent increase of salary. (2) That all employees being paid at the rate of £l6O per annum of less receive an increase of 10 per cent. Reporting on a letter from the Canterbury Employers' Association with reference to a war bonus for shipwrights, the committeo recommended that the board approve of a 10 per cent war bonus to shipwrights. Regarding waterside labour rates in the board's stores the committee recommended that the rate of wages lately agreed upon between tho employers and waterside workers at Lyttelton bo paid in the board's stores and cob! chambers. The recommendations were approved without discussion.

Mr G. Scott moved that the increases be granted as from May 1 last. Mr W. J. Walter seconded the motion.

Messrs F. Horrell and H. F. Nicholl supported an amendment that the increases start on July 1, on the ground of the decrease of revenue. The chairman (Mr A. Kaye) said that he thought tho rises should <?ato from May 1. The board had held over consideration of the applications for two months and he did not think the employees should suffer because of the delay. Mr Scott said that some of the engineers had been waiting for twelve months, and he thought an injustice had been done to them. Mr J- J. Graham endorsed that view.

On a division being taken the amendment was carried by 6 votes to 4. A recommendation from the Sailors' Home Committee that the salaries of the Sailors' Home staff be increased on the same basis as the board may adopt for increases to the staff generally, was adopted.