CLERICAL WORKERS' DISPUTE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 4 May 1938, Page 7

CLERICAL WORKERS' DISPUTE

CASE FOR EMPLOYERS ARBITRATION COURT HEARING I United Press Association] WELLINGTON, This Day. The employers’ case in t.he clerical workers’ application in the Arbitration Court was put forward this morning by Mr T. O. Bishop. He said the effect of extending the wages scale by another two years and to add certain extra payments as sought by the workers would have exactly the effect of the first award in that a large number of workers would probably find their jobs were not \vorth the increased money, and there would be many readjustments of staff. He said that after the ninth year of employment for males or the seventh for females increments of salary should depend on the nature of the work and the qualifications of the employee. He contended that the majority of jobs were merely a monotonous repetition of routine jobs that could be learned in from one to two or three years. A highly skilled professional man or woman was the exception, not the rule, and where a highly skilled worker was required he thought the salary was recognised and was paid in the great majority of cases.