REVIEWING AWARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20842, 8 April 1931, Page 8

REVIEWING AWARDS.

GENERAL WAGES CUT. PROBABLE. PROCEDURE. APPLICATION FOR AN ORDER. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. No procedure has been laid down for reviewing awards with a view to reducing wages in accordance with the provisions in the Finance Bill, but it will probably be the same as was followed in 1922 when, after hearing the representatives of the employers and employees the Arbitration Court made a general order covering all awards and industrial agreements without waiting for them to expire. The employers combined through their organisation, the New Zealand Employers' Federation, in a general application to the Court, and no doubt similar action will be taken at an early date after the Finance Bill reaches the Statute Book. No date can be fixed for the hearing of any application for a general order until the legislation is passed.

The Arbitration Court has practically concluded the present Wellington session and in the ordinary course of events would not be due to. sit here again for some months. It is expected, however, that there will be a special fixture to enable an application' for a order to be dealt with in Wellington.

No doubt parties to awards will be given reasonable time to prepare their respective cases. The Court is due in the South Island early next month and with tho likelihood of the Legislative Council disposing of the Finance Bill at an early date it looks as if the general case will bo heard at the end of the present month, or in the first week in May.