Bricklayers Seek £8 Wage Minimum

Northern Advocate, 29 July 1949, Page 2

Bricklayers Seek £8 Wage Minimum

CHRISTCHURCH. Fri.. (P.A.I Claiming that the inclusion of a weekly wage would be inequitable to the employers and to the general public. Mr G. A. Turner, who represented the employers at the Arbitration Court yesterday, opposed a claim by the New Zealand '(except Northern Industrial District) Bricklayers and Related Trades’ Union for a minimum weekly wage of £B. The union also sought 4/2d an hour for casual workers, an allowance of 5/- a week for tools, overalls and boots, and the inclusion in the award of a suburban work clause similar to that in the New Zealand Carpenters’ award. Decision was reservel. LOWEST PAID Mr J. E Jones, for the union, said that bricklayers were the lowest-paid workers in the building trade and lost much time through wet weather.. “If a bricklayer works full time he only gets £B/1/8. A baker gets £B/16/8." he added. “We realise that it will bring up the cost of building, but we want security.” Opposing the claim, Mr Turner said the employer might easily find himself paying a full weekly wage with little or no work being done. Rejecting the^.claim for a topi allowance. Ke sai3 that tools required bybricklayers were few and not expensive, and none of the other building trades made such allowances.