Will Not Make Award

Northern Advocate, 21 August 1945, Page 5

Will Not Make Award

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Court of Arbitration has declined to make an award incorporating the terms cf the settlement reached in Conciliation Council, and further adjustments agreed upon by the parties, in the dispute between New Zealand Lamp Manufacturers. Ltd. (Wellington) and the employees' union. .

A memorandum by Mr. Justice Tyndall says that if the rates agreed upon were incorporated in the award it is considered that the employer would be placed in an advantageous position in the labour market as compared with any other factory employers. “It. seems to us that it is just such a state .of affairs that the stabilisation regulations were designed to prevent.’’ ho says. In the agreement of May 7, 1941, wages ranged from 16/_ for boys under 16. to 2/5(2 hourly for adults; and females from 19/- to £2/12/6. The wages which the Court was now asked to incorporate tanged from £2 for males of 16 to 17 to 2/10 an hour, plus 2d an hour extra for men in charge of three or more workers, and for females from £l/17/6 weekly to £3/7/6. plus 1/- a day for these in charge cf three or more workers. The above wages were to be subject to the Court’s two general orders, Ecnus Provision The Court was also asked to incorporate provision for a bonus cf 5 per cent, on wages to each worker who showed 100 per cent, regular attendance during any week or weeks. The memorandum pointed out that in a number cf instances the minimum rates agreed upon were greatly in excess of these in the 1941 agreement. A boy between 16 and 17 was entitled to 22/6. and with the increments under the Court’s order the first minimum would be £l/4/9%. Under the proposed award the minimum rate, plus bonus, would produce £2/5/8. Similarly, rates for youths of 19 to 20 were increased from £2/6/IV2 to £5/0/9%, and a female under 18 increased from £ 1/9/9% to £3/16/-.