Workers’ Claim For Increased Wages

Northern Advocate, 6 March 1945, Page 4

Workers’ Claim For Increased Wages

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Monday Under authority conferred upon it by Clause 5 of Amendment Number 5 of the Economic Stabilisation Emergency Regulations the Court of Arbitration today commenced hearing' representations by Dominion organisations of employers and workers on the general question of the rates of wages for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour. The National 'Secretary of the Federation of Labour (Mr Baxter) after presenting the case for an increase of 4id per hour on existing standard rates, went on to speak in more general terms. One of the outstanding features of the economic development of New Zealand over the war period had been the growth of secondary industry, said Mr Baxter. He contended that official figures of the value and costs in factory production showed clearly that the increased income earned had gone mainly to employers and that such average increases as workers had received could be largely explained by increases in overtime paid. He claimed that as to profits, reserves and dividends it would be shown that for a large and representative selection of business concerns operating in New Zealand profits and other indices of business prosperity had increased, particularly since stabilisation year,

to an extent completely out of line with increases in wage rates ovei comparable peri ods. Wage rates had been firmly held under stabilisation only with considerable hardship to those workers who foi one reason or another found their wages tied to award rates, Mr Baxter continued. Their anomalous position in relation to other sections of the community had built up stresses and strains within the wage structure leading' to successive amendments to the emergency stabilisation regulations. Workers had accepted stabilisation in December, 1942, in a spirit of loyalty, self-sacrifice and co-opera-tion and they still held that view, but they remembered the promise of the Prime Minister on the introduction of stabilisation that it would apply to everything.

Mr Baxter said they were convinced that investigation applied to workers generally would reveal the need for a drastic overhaul of the standard wage rates and the Court would be convinced that the 4£d an hour increase now being claimed was modest and' reasonable in face of present-day conditions. Finally, it was suggested that the Court might consider adjusting special payments under awards on a percentage basis commensurate with any increase in the standard rates.! Also that the operation of the general pronouncement should be retrospective to the date of the recent amendment to the regulations, February 13 last.

Mr Baxter said he did not propose to call any evidence. Mr Anderson, the employers’ advocate, indicated that it might be necessary for the employers’ representatives to ask for an' adjournment to enable them to consider the arguments put forward on behalf of the workers. The Court adjourned until Wednesday, when the employers’ case will be presented.