CHEMICAL WORKERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15950, 22 June 1915, Page 5

CHEMICAL WORKERS.

NEW RATE OF WAGES. SOUTHERN AWARDS VARIED. A new award in the dispute between the Westfield Chemical Manure Workers' Union and tlie New Zealand Drug • Company, Ltd., which is to operate from July 12, 1915, until January 1, 1917, was filed with the clerk of awards yesterday. In a memorandum attached to the award, Mr. Justice Stringer, president of the' Court, states that the only substantial question submitted was as to the minimum rate of pay, which the Court had fixed at Is 2d per hour. Though a substantial increase on the minimum rate paid under the previous award, the rate was Id per hour less than the rate toed under the award in a similar industry in Christchurch in April, xiie Court fixed the rate in Christchurch at Is 3d per hour, for the purpose of bringing the wages into conformity with those paid for similar work, by the meat freezing companies of Canterbury, as embodied in the agreement between the companies and the men. The evidence given in Dune-din and Auckland had satisfied the Court that there was no strict analogy between employment of workers by freezing companies in connection with this industry and by companies arid firms which were solely engaged in the industry. In the former case, the employment was of a seasonal character, while in the latter it was practically continuous. It had been proved, continued His Honor, that the companies and firms engaged in the industry were subject to competition from foreign manufacturers, against whom they were not protected by tho Customs tariff, and that the landed cost of many of the raw materials of the commodities produced had increased substantially. In those circumstances, and having regard to the fact that the average wage earned by the workers was at least a fair living wage, the Court did not feel justified in imposing any further burden upon the industry than was involved in the increase before mentioned. Mr. McCullough, workers' representative on the Court, observed His Honor, did not ncree with tho rate fixed, as he thought that, having fixed tho rate at Is 3d for Canterbury, that rate ought to be „JV,orod to in other districts.