WAGES OF LABOURERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19413, 23 August 1926, Page 7

WAGES OF LABOURERS.

PROTEST AGAINST AWARD. DISSATISFACTION WITH CQIfRT< MOVE BY LABOUR COUNCIL. [BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. 3 WELLINGTON, Sunday. General dissatisfaction with the rulings of the Arbitration Court is expressed in a resolution passed by the New Zealand Trades and Labour Council in connection with the General Labourers' Awards for the North Island, and the cancellation of registration of all affiliated unions with the object of having disputes heard under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act is suggested as a remedy. The resolution is as follows:

"That this council, having considered the reasons given by the Court of Arbitration in its recommendations regarding the General Labourers' Award, is of the opinion that such reasoning is not evidence and does not justify the refusal of the Court to grant a further Id per hour to thesa workers. "Further, this council considers that the protest of Mr. Monteith was more than justified and that he deserves the thanks of all trade unions for calling attention to the attitude taken up by the majority of the. Court on this' question. "Further, this council considers that the Arbitration Court hais outlived its usefulness and urges the calling of a special meeting of the council for the purpose of considering the advisability of all affiliated unions cancelling their registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act for the purpose of making further agreertients relating to wages and working: conditions under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, which provides that where all par ties do not arrive at a settlement an independent chairman shall be appointed to settle the matter. By this method unions could free themselves from the Court oii Arbitration and its unfair and biassed decisions." „ •

"The reasons for the resolution/' stated Mr. W. Bromley, secretary of the. council, to-day, "is the knowledge, from evidence given by labour unions, that the average earnings of the majority of general labourers fall far. short, of £4 Os Bd, which is the amount earned if we assume that the man always gets, the full 44 hours in, We have now the statement of the Government to work on.' In discussing the Family Allowances Bill, the statement was made that to give k a family allowance on the basis of ( only 2s a child to families whose full earnings do not exceed £4 a week .would cost the Government £260,000 a year, a clear'indication that a very large number of fami-' lies; are not; getting £4 a week, ; "I have not seen Hansard yet, but I am informed that the Minister in charge of the bill gave the startling information that in New Zealand there are 2538 families With incomes of not more than £1 per week. That is some justification | for the agitation taking .place against the Arbitration Court."