WAGES STABILITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23302, 22 March 1939, Page 16

WAGES STABILITY

I'.-.". NEED OF INDUSTRY 1 ; •' i ! I EMPLOYERS' VIEWPOINT j I THE BUILDING iTKADE j V'• ' : '"INCREASE NOT JUSTIFIED" ~[bt telegraph—OWN. .correspondent] : v , WELLINGTON, Tuesday %. ►" In the light of all.the present-day. |j|-. circumstances of trade and industry.' pr there is nothing to justify the Court in v - on the contrary, it is submitted that the Court might con%l sider the advisability of reducing costs - rather than be a party to increasing 'JS - them," said Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, ad- ? vocate for the'employers, at. the hearing by- the Court of Arbitration today of the builders' and ' general labourers' dispute. Mr. Mountjoy urged that the Court should hot alter its standard • rate pronouncement of 1937 for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled • workers.

Alterations to hours, wagesand many other conditions were sought by workers'' unions, Mr. Mountjoy continued. The employers held that the time for- making such radical changes in awards had passed and that stability of conditions in awards of the building industry was long overdue. Fluctuations In Oosts the building industry, from the point of view ..of finance, was the" most hazardous of all callings, said Mr. Mountjoy, who referred to the effect of fluctuations in costs and tho elements on tendering. The employers therefore -asked the Court to bring about stabilisation of industries by putting an end to further wage increases. Mr. Mountjoy said that if awards were made each year with varying conditions, including wages, a builder would at. the hand of the Court be stripped of some of the money ha. had .allowed to cover materials and so on because-of increased costs unaccounted for when the tender was submitted.

Established Principle Referring to the contention of Mr. P. M. Butler, advocate for the workers, that builders and general labourers were entitled to increased rates, for which the standard rate for unskilled - workers (2s od an hour) should be a guide and not a hard and fast rule, Mr. JMountjov contended that to acquiesce would be to set aside the principle established by the Court under Mr. Justice Stringer and which had been followed by Mr. Justice Frazcr. .Mr. -Justice Page and Mr. Justice 0 Kegftn. T\o special circumstances had. been established by the union in asking for a departure. . In opposing tho workers claims for a higher rate of pay for unskilled workers, Mr. Mountjoy submitted that the Dominion's position was not as sound or-stable to-day as .itwas when the Court heard argument and evi dence on the standard wage pronounce roent of September 7, 1937

NEW TYPES OF WORK UNION'S SUBMISSIONS ' V CLASSIFICATION OPPOSED OBJECTION TO WEEKLY RATES [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION*] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The hearing by the Court of Arbitrn ' tion of the application for a new Do minion award to cover builders' and general labourers was continued today, when the case for the union wax qompletcd and the case for the emr plovers partially completed. Eleven witnesses were called for the union and three witnesses gave evidence to-day for the employers. The hearing will be concluded to-morrow, when the remaining three witnesses for the em plovers will give evidence, following which the carpenters' and joiners' dispute will -commence: T -Dealing with submissions made by Sir. P. M. Butler, advocate for the •union, Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, for the employers, contended that the union was seeking an unnecessary . classification of workers by claiming that new types of work were ever increasing, due .to. th»* development of new methods. In this schedule' Mr. Butler sought 2d un hour above the minimum fate for wheeling barrows on raised platforms and scaffolds, 2d an hour extra for crusher feeders, and an increase for men carrying materials up a height greater than six feet. Mr. Mountjoy said this was work that had been informed by labourers on the minimum wage for years. The classifications appeared merely to be an attempt to secuie increases in wages. Australian labourers' awards were quoted by Mr. Mountjoy to show that the New Zealand worker was far better off under the current labourers' award. He opposed, a weekly .rate for builders' labourers and cited the Public .Works Department and Others "whose labourers wore paid on an hourly basis. To introduce weekly rates of pay for building trade labourers in New Zealand, with its climatic conditions, would result in a serious and unwari ranted increase in the cost of production- Mr. Mountjoy asked that the term I of the award should be not less than f two years. is —■ 1 - ————■■