AUSTRALIAN BASIC WAGE INCREASES

Northern Advocate, 24 June 1937, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN BASIC WAGE INCREASES

Made Desirable By Present Degree Of Prosperity (Received 10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, June 23. Increases in the basic wage, averaging from 5/ a week for all the States, covering workers under the Federal awards, were granted by the Commonwealth Arbitration Court today. Thus, the basic wage in Sydney rises to £3 18/ a week, in Melbourne to £3 15/, Adelaide £3 12/, Perth, Hobart and Brisbane £3 14/. The courts judgment, which was unanimous, affects nearly the whole of the metal trades industry and most of the State’s transport workers and manufacturing interests. Estimated eßnefit. The ratio of workers interested in New South Wales is about six in every 10. The remainder are under State awards. The increase is estimated to cost the New South Wales Government an extra £500,000 annually. A hurried estimate by the Commonwealth statistician is that the workers of the Commonwealth will benefit to the extent of £6,250,000 a year. The increase will be applied in two sections, in order not to bear too heavily on industry. Half will be paid in the first pay in July, and the other half in the first pay in October. About 400,000 Affected.

The increase in the cases of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane amount to 6/ a week and, in the cases of Adelaide, Perth and Hobart, to 4/. About 300,000 persons will be affected in the Commonwealth. Maritime workers, who receive an increase of £1 1/6 a month, together with pastoral and gas employees, will receive the whole increase as from the first pay in July. Shearers and station hands’ rates have been raised all round. The court, in announcing its decision, said, that, after grave consideration, it was of the opinion that the present degree of prosperity in the Commonwealth and the existing circumstances of industry made desirable an appreciable increase in the basic wage.