APPRENTICES' WAGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21324, 27 October 1932, Page 13

APPRENTICES' WAGES

EFFECT OF LEGISLATION ADVICE TO EMPLOYERS Many employers are in doubt as to the wages which they must pay their apprentices and as to the effect of recent legis-.-lation on the contracts relating to apprentices. These points are dealt w>jth in a statement prepared by Mr. S. E. bright, secretary of the Auckland Provincial Employers' Association. Mr Wright, after dealing with the recent legislation affecting apprentices, divides apprenticeship contracts into three groups and shows how the different provisions apply. The first group consists of apprenticeship contracts entered into before June 8, 1931. These are not affected by the Arbitration Court's general order reducing wages. Wages payable under these contracts cannot be reduced unless varied by order of a magistrate on the application of the employer. The second group comprises apprenticeship contracts entered into during the period from June 8, 1931, to May 9, 1932. Contracts in this group were entered into after the Arbitration Court's general order reducing wages became operative and in the majority of cases employers, when completing them, would take advantage of this reduction, contracting to pay the wages as set out in the apprenticeship order, less 10 per cent. W T ages payable under this group cannot be further reduced unless varied by order of a magistrate on the application of the employer. The remaining group includes contracts entered into on or after May 10, 1932. In respect of these contracts the minimum wages which can be specified are those set out in the apprenticeship orders, less 10 per cent. The Finance Act, 1932, does not apply and employers cannot therefore appeal to the magistrate for a further reduction of wages. If the employers in any industry consider that the wages as specified in apprenticeship contracts, less 10 per cent, are too high, their only remedy is an application to the Arbitration Court for an amendment to the apprenticeship order. Mr. Wright points out that a number of applications has been dealt with in Auckland. In the majority of cases the Court has reduced wages by 20 per cent and allowed payment to be made by the hour, with the proviso that in no week must less than the rates prescribed in the Factories Act be paid.