INCREASED WAGES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18534, 19 October 1923, Page 8

INCREASED WAGES.

PAY FOR COALMINERS. ]'.,

EXCESS -BATES REVISED.

ADDITION OF. 5d A DAY.

[OH TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPOND ANT.] WELLINGTON. Thursday. ;

An important announcement, by the effect of which an increase will be granted to coalminers on the excess rates of remuneration, was released by the Arbitration Court to-day. Special provisions in each of the coalminers' awards and industrial agreements* in the Northern, Westland, Canterbury, and Otago and Southland districts give power .to the Court to- increase - or diminish the excess rates of remuneration fixed by the awards and agreements over the- standard rates,. as from May i and November 1, in the ratio between the percentage of increase in the retail prices of food for tho preceding March or September . respectively over the retail prices of food current in July, \ 1914, as shown by the Government Statistician's return of 'the three food groups combined; and the percentage of the increase (57.76) in tho retail prices of food shown in the. return for the month of January, li&d, over the retail prices of food current in July, 1914. It is further provided m these awards and agreements that in calculating the increases or decreases of time rates the -calculation shall be made to the nearest penny, and in the case of piecework rates, to the nearest farthing. *• The ascertained percentage of increase in the retail prices of food for the month of September, 1923, over the retail'prices of food current in the month of July, 1914, being 44.77, the Court has ordered as follows:—(1) That the excess rates of remuneration above the standard rates fixed by each of the awards 'and agreements shall bo diminished in the ratio which 57.76 bears to 44.77; (2) that this order shall operate from. November 1, 1923, and continue during the currency of ea-ch award ahfi r':reemeni. or until tho Court shall oil. enrLje order; (J) iha,, in the case of awards and agreements in which the original percentage is fixed at less than 57.76, tho ratio stated in clause jl shall bo varied accordingly.

Statement by the Court. In a memorandum attached to the order the President of the Court, Mr. Justice Frazer, stated that tho order was made in accordance with the clause headed •'Variation of Rates," appearing in the awards and agreements. The rates fixed by the awards and agreements were, in the case of time rates. 60 per cent, above the rates payable in 1914, and in the case of piecework rates, 50 per cent, above the 1914 rates. These increases were adopted, from the national agreement made in February, 1920, which provided for them on the basis of the price statistics for food for January, IS2O, which showed an increase of 57.76 per cent, over the prices ruling in July, 1914. The Court" accordingly decided to base subsequent six-monthly increases • and reductions. of . rates on the percentage of increases or decreases disclosed by the Government Statistician's returns of food prices for the months of March and September. The 57.76 per cent, increase of January, 1920, was represented by increases of 41.21 per cent, in March, 1922, 59.44 per cent, in September, 1922, 41.31 per cent, in March, 1923, and 44.77 per cent, in September, 1923. The variations in the rates of remuneration payable to coalminers, tho president added, did not coincide with tho variations in the rates of rcminveratiori of other workers, whose cost of 'living adjustments were based on" the "All' Groups" statistics. The-. effect of the present order would be to increa'ie their rates by a somewhat .greater percentage than was the case under- the last order of April 50, 1923. ' The standard rates were equivalent to 100-160ths of the- time ra'tes and 100-150ths of tho piece work rates set out in the awards and agreements. The present increase, as in the case of the former reductions, applied on'v to the remaining 60-160ths and 50-150ths respectively.

The Effect of the Order. By way of illustration, two examples of tho effect of the order on time and pfeco rates wore given as follows:— (a) A time rate of 16s is made up of 10s standard rate and 63 excess rate. The order of April 24, 1922, reduced the 6s in tha ratio of 57.76 to 41.21, that is to 4s 3d, making tho total rate 14a 3d. The order 0..' October 7, 1922, reduced the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 39.44 that is to 4s Id, making the total rate 14s Id. The order of April 9, 1923, reduced the 6a in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.31, that is to 4s 3d, making tho total rate 14s 3d. The present order reduces the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 44.77, that is to 4s 3d, making the total rate 14s 8d or 5d more than the present rate, (b) A piece work rate of 7s 6d is made up of 5s standard rate and 2s 6d excess rate. The order of April 24, 1922. reduced the 2s 6d in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.21, that is to Is making the total rate 6s 9£d. The order of October 7, 1922, reduced the 2s 6d in the ratio of 57.76 to 39.44, that is to Is B£d, making the total rate 6s Bid. The order of April 9, reduced the 2s 6d in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.31, that is to Is 9£d, • making the total rate 6s 9£d.. The present order reduces the 2s 6d in tho ratio of 57.76 to 44.77, that is to Is making the total rate 6s' or l||d more than the present .rate. ...'■'

The cost of living legislation, from which the Court derives authority to periodically revise rates of remuneration, will expire on December 31 next, and the rates now fixed will continue for tho remainder of the currency of the awards and agreements, unless the parties agree to any further amendment.