RESTORING WAGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22461, 3 July 1936, Page 10

RESTORING WAGES

SCOPE OF BENEFITS

PROPOSED LEGISLATION

REMOVING ANOMALIES

[BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION]

WELLINGTON, Thursday

The Government is considering plans to restore the 1931 wages level to employees who are not at present under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act or any other industrial legislation.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, said to-day that he had had some isolated instances of victimisation on the part of employers, and in every case investigation had been ordered. "We are not going to run away," lie remarked. "If people are being victimised we will take action against those responsible." Mr. Savage drew attention to the discrepancy between businesses where one class of employer was operating under an award or other legislation and paying higher rates than another. He said he saw no reason why the man not working under legislation should not make the restorations that the other man had to make. It was proposed to cover them.

"Wo will put the onus on them of showing that the wages paid are as high as in 1931," said Mr. Savage. "The previous Government made its appeal to employers to reduce wages, and they did not need any pressing, but we realise that employers, being human, are not likely to go so easily in the opposite direction. Our purpose is to see that wages are restored, and the instructions to-dav to those drafting the legislation will be to take in the whole lot as far as that is humanly possible."

The Prime Minister said there were difficulties to be faced. The Government was prepared to assist industry by protective tariffs and otherwise, but at the same time it wanted to see that all those who worked in industry shared in the benefit, which could only lie expressed by shorter hours and increased pay-