SAWMILL WAGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22100, 4 May 1935, Page 17

SAWMILL WAGES

CONDITIONS IN COUNTRY CONCILIATION PROCEEDINGS ADJOURNMENT FOR MONTH [by telegraph—own correspondent] TATJMARUNUI, Friday A conciliation council meeting was held in Taumnrunui yesterday to consider three disputes, in the Auckland, Wellington and Taranaki districts, concerning the wa|?es and conditions of employment of workers in country sawmills.

The Commissioner, Mr. P. Hally, presided. Mr. W. E. Anderson, actingsecretary of .the Employers' Federation, appeared as advocate for the employers, and was assisted by Mr. A. Seed, secretary of the New 2!lealand Sawmillers' Federation. Mr. E. J. Phelan was advocate for the employees, being assisted by Air. J. Read, secretary of the Timber Workers' Uniou.

Mr. Phelan suggested that if they could arrive :tjU- a minimum wage the other conditions would be easy to decide. He also expressed the opinion that the award should cover both country and city sawmills. The employers' representatives held that the conditions were entirely different in the country compared with the city. The question of a minimum wage was fully discussed. The employers offered Is 6d an hour as a fair minimum until there was a permanent improvement in the industry. They held that the present improvement was due to the unemployment subsidy. Mr. Phelari said the workers suggested lis 8d as the minimum. This would protect genuine millers against small "pirate'' millers, who were paying 6s and 8s a day, and, in some cases, no wages at all. They were, he said, buying small blocks of timber cheaply from farmers and undercutting prices. It wan better to have a minimum wage to protect both the employers and workers.

The council adjourned for two hours to allow the minimum wage question to be further considered by the parties. On returning: the employers increased their offer, without prejudice, in regard to several classes of workers, the highest being a minimum of Is 9d an hour, but they kept the general minimum wage offer to Is 6d. Mr. Phelan objected and the employers retired to allow the workers' assessors to discuss the matter. On resuming again Mr. Phelan offered to accept Is ~7d as a minimum, and a review of the scheduler of all classes of workers' wages, increasing in proportion, the highest minimum being 2s. The employers retired again, but concluded that' they could not raise the minimum above Is 6d without risk to the industry. The council adjourned for 28 days to allow the parties to further consider the position.