WAGE INCREASE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 217, 12 August 1940, Page 8

WAGE INCREASE

EXEMPTIONS FROM ORDER. APPLICATIONs’tO BE HEARD. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 12. An indication that the Arbitration Court would hear as soon as possible employers’ applications. for exemption from the General Wage Increase Order was given, by Mr Justice Tyndall to-day.

Mr Justice Tyndall said the Court had made no definite fixtures for its visit to Auckland, and there would be an opportunity in Wellington to deal with any applications for exemption within the next two weeks. The Court would do its utmost to complete the hearings as soon as possible. At the end of the (hearing of the Otago-Southland butter factory managers’ dispute Mr D. I. Macdonald asked that any clause relating to a wage increase in this or other awards shortly to be issued should be worded in such a way that it would not prevent the parties from applying for exemption if they wished to. EMPLOYERS’ CRITICISM.

“Employers and all who are carrying the responsibility for the Dominion's economic maintenance will be concerned at the Court’s decision to grant an all-round increase of 5 per cent, on the present wage rates from to-day.” said Mr W. Machin (president of the Employers’ Association), in criticising the Arbitration Court wage increase. “I have examined most carefully the Court’s stated grounds for this decision, and am surprised that much material evidence —not controverted at the hearing—should have been ignored by the Court and, further, that the assumptions concerning the future which witnesses would not accept were used in part by the Court to justify the increases awarded. “There are very many employers and others who will be discouraged in their struggle to make ends meet under the present difficult conditions, and I still say this discouragement will be a lactor in dulling the enthusiasm for more production. Wage-earners have succeeded in getting others to pay their shilling in the pound of extra taxation, and . many who will sadly help to pay this in addition to their own extra tax are people with small fixed incomes who have been wage-earners in the past.”

THOUGHT “DISAPPOINTING.” BY FEDERATION OF LABOUR. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 12. Commenting on the wage rise, Mr F. D. Cornwell (secretary of the Federation of Labour) said the amount of the increase granted was disappointing. It was not as great as had been, hoped for. It was considered the circumstances justified an increase of at least 7 j per cent. The Federation of Labour had been approached by business people raising the question of whether workers now receiving more than the rates prescribed by the awards should also be paid a cost of living bonus. A rejJy had been given that if these workers had been worth, say, 10s a week above the award rates in the past, there was no reason why they should not continue to be worth the extra plus the bonus.

SALARIES AND WAGES

EFFECT ON POWER BOARD. ‘•'All award wages have gone up 5 per cent, as from to-day, but this has had a peculiar effect on some of the staff in that men who are on salaries and are in charge of gangs are now receiving only 10s a year more than the men in the gang,” said Mr J. Boyce, chairman of the ManawatuOroua Power Board, at the monthly meeting of the board to-day, in drawing attention to the effect of the Rates of Wages Emergency Regulations. The managing-secretary (Mr K. W. Eglinton) said there were 62 employees of the board and 50 were affected by the rise in award wages. One instance was that men engaged in a certain type of work would receive £349 8s lOd a year and the man in charge of them would have a salaried income of £350. In another case a man whose salary had been 5 per cent, above the award would now receive award wages only. Mr L. Hogg suggested, in order to overcome the anomaly, that all wages and salaries be increased by 5 per cent. The chairman thought that this would have to be done, although he considered the principle wrong in that this would lead to further increases m the cost of living and then there would be another 5 per cent, rise needed. It was not that he did not wish to see rises in wages, because I the married man with a family required all he could get to-day. But there should be a ten per cent, increase in the working hours. This would produce more and tend to lowor the cost of living. On a question being asked by Mr W. McKay, the managing-secretary reported that the rise of 5 per cent, would amount in the board’s case to £259 on salaries (not award rates) and £621 12s lOd on wages governed byawards.

On the motion of Mr P. G. Guy, seconded by Mr McKay, it was decided to hold over the consideration of increases in salaries to those officers of tho board not affected by awards, and that any increases decided upon at the next meeting be made retrospective to August 12. This motion was carried.

See “Award Wages Increased.” — Page 2. “ '