Employers Say Clerical Claims Exceeded By Court,

Northern Advocate, 19 July 1938, Page 7

Employers Say Clerical Claims Exceeded By Court,

[Special to "Northern Advocate.” J AUCKLAND, This Day. ACCORDING TO MR C. A. DEUXBERRY, ONE OF THE EMPLOYERS’ ASSESSORS IN THE DISPUTE, TJIAT IN LAYING DOWN THE NEW CLERICAL WORKERS’ AWARD, SO THAT PERSONS AGED 21 OR OVER TAKING UP CLERICAL EMPLOYMENT WITHOUT PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE SHOULD BE PAID THE MAXIMUM SCALE RATE OF £5 10/WEEKLY FOR MALES AND £3 5/- TO FEMALES. THE SECOND COURT OF ARBITRATION HAS OF ITS OWN MOTION EXCEEDED THE DEMAND OF THE FEDERATED CLERICAL EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION. Mr Deuxberry said that in the conciliation proceedings for the Northern Industrial District Clerical Workers’ Award last year, the union's salary claims made no provision for persons entering employment at 21 or over.

Basic Wage Proposed. Tiie employers pointed out this omission, which, they contended, would leave them free to employ such persons at the respective basic rates of wages for males and females respectively—£3 16/- and £1 16/- a week. Mr Deuxberry continued. They proposed that the wage scales be extended to provide that persons of 21 or over should be paid the basic wage at the outset and should receive the same increments as employees who started at 20. but one stage earlier right along the scale. No agreement was reached, and when the award was made by the First Court of Arbitration it was found to contain no provision for entrance over the age of 20. What Employees Wanted. In the proceedings for the award now in force, Mr Deuxberry added, the Clerical Employees' Association claimed a wage scale for male entrants over 20 .beginning at the basic

wage of £3 16/- and rising by yearly increments as follows:—£4 15/-, £5, £5 5 -. £5 10/-, £6. The corresponding scale for women began at the basic wage of £1 16 '- and rose by yearly increments as follows: —£2 5/-, £2 10 '-, £2 17/6, £3 5/-, £3 15/-. Entrance Over 21 Barred. In making its award, Mr Deuxberry pointed out, the Court had adopted neither this scale nor the one put forward by the employers, but had imposed maximum scale rates at entry. It had thus fixed higher wages than those claimed by the Clerical Workers' Association, except at the top ends of the two scales. By its decision the court had, in effect, excluded newcomers of 21 and over from clerical work under the award, whereas, if it had granted the rates actually claimed for them by the Clerical Employees’ Association there would still have remained some possibility of their obtaining employment.