MINIMUM WAGES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 6 October 1942, Page 4

MINIMUM WAGES

EMPLOYEES ON ESSENTIAL UNDERTAKINGS APPLICATION TO COBB WORKERS Minimum weekly wages arc fixed j for workers employed in essential un- j derlakings by an order recently j gazetted. Under the National Service Emergency Regulations the Minister of Labour is empowered to fix by or- > der a minimum weekly wage to which such workers shall be entitled while so employed. A worker in an essential undertaking cannot leave his or her employment without permission, irrespective of whether work is always available or not. The whole question has been under consideration by the Industrial Emergency Council for some time, and has been fully investigated by a special committee. Us recommenda- | lions are embodied in the order now issued, the object of which is to ensure that while a worker is tied to employment he or she i-s guaranteed a minimum weekly wage to cover periods when, through no fault of the worker, he or she is not fully employed. The order is deemed to have come into operation July 1, 1942, or when an undertaking is declared essential. It provides that workers in the undertakings concerned shall be entitled to a minimum weekly wage, exclusive of overtime, bonus or other special payments, of an amount equivalent to the worker's ordinary weekly earnings, but not exceeding £5 10s for an adult male worker, £2 17s 6d for an j adult female, and £1 15s for a j junior worker. j For the purpose of fixing the I minimum, workers’ earnings are to be , j assessed at the ordinary wage rates j for an ordinary hour's work, or where t no ordinary time rate is fixed, by the I rales ruling in the nearest district, i The right of any worker to receive a minimum rate is subject to the worker having reported for work at the normal time, having performed his work with due diligence, proper skill and care, and not having been ■ absent during the preceding six weeks j for any reason other than sickness j or accident, or other cause outside j the worker’s control. Where a female ; worker is employed in substitution j for a male ancl is performing thel work and receiving the remuneration j of an adult male worker, she shall for the purposes of the order be deemed an adult male worker. Employees of the Hume Pipe Company working on the Cobb scheme have been dissatisfied with their earnings, mainly through the large amount of time lost by wet weather. This order will now apply to them.