MINERS' WAGES

Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 294, 18 October 1922, Page 6

MINERS' WAGES

Cut as Usual

«oNli¥ A.YEXIY SMALL. 05E"

In its latest pronouncement with regard to coal-miners , rates of pay tJie arbitration Court""" has ordered thsat the excess rates of remuneration, over and above the standard rates as fixed and defined by the respective awards and indusir-al agreements, shall be diminished in the ratio which 57.76 tesfars to 39.44. The order is to operate and take effect from November 1, 1922, and is to be deemed to be incorporate«d in each of the current awards and industrial agreements affecting the coal-mining miiustry. VARIATION OF RATES

The following cxplanj&tory ineniorandum is attached to.the order: "This order is made in accordance with the provisions of the clause headed 'Variation of Rates/ appearing in tho different cqal-maies aw-ards and industrial agreements. Tlve rates fixed by the awards and industrial agreements are, in the case of time rates, 60 per cent, and 50 per cent, were adopted from the national agreement made in February, 1920, which provide for these increases on the basis of tlie pries statistics for food for the month of January, 1920, which then showed an increase of 57.76 per cent, over the prices ruling in July, 1914. The court accordingly decided to bas-s subsequent six-monthly increases and reductions of rates on flip, percentage of increase or decrease disclosed by the Government Statlst'C.an's returns of food prices for the months of March and September in each year.

THE SLA Sri The 57.76 per cent, increase of Jannary, 1920 ) was represented by an increase o*' 41.21 per cent, in March, J922, ana by an increase of 39.44 per cont. in September, 1922. The reduction in the rates of coalminera made by the last order of the court was more thnn the reduction made -by the general order affecting workers In other Industries, whoso cost of living adjustments were based on all-groups statistics. Owing to the drop in food prices having been very much smaller during the past six mouths than it was during the preceding period the reduction in the miners' rates is on Qite occasion a very small one. The standard rates are equivalent to 100----160ths of the time rates and 100-15Cths of the piece-work ra,*es set out In the. awards and industrial agreements. The reduction applies only to the remaining 60-160ths and 50 150the. respectively.

MAKING IT CLEAR •'By way of illustration, we give two examples of the effect of this order on the time and piece-rates: (a) A time-rate of 16/- Is m,a<le ai"» of 10/- standard rate and 6/- excess rate. The last order reduced the 6/ln the ratio of 57.76 to 41.21: tnat is, to 4/3, making the total rate 14/3.. The present 'brclei- reduces the G'- in the ratio of 57.76 to 39.44: that is. to 4/1, making the total rate 14/1, ov 2d less than the present rate. (b) The piece-work rate of 37.1 'J fs made up of 5/- standard rate and 2/6 excess rate. The last order reduced tbe 2/6 in the r.a'io of 57.76 to 41.21: that is, to l/ 9£, making the total rate G/H- The present order reduces the 2/6 in the ratio of 57.76 to 39.44: that is, to 1/8 L making tha total rate §/$h ©r Id less than the present rate."