OAMARU JOURNALISTS’ AWARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18325, 16 August 1921, Page 9

OAMARU JOURNALISTS’ AWARD

The award of the Arbitration Court in the Oamaru journalists’ case has now been filed. Its hours’ clause provides for not more than 12 consecutive hours’ work in any 24, and for an interval of 12 hours off duty after the day’s work is over. Overtime is to be allowed for at the rate of time and a-half oil or paid for in cash at time and a-half rates. The wages were fixed as follows Cadet, first year, £1 10s; second year, £2 10s; third year, £3 10s; junior reporter, first year, £4; second year, £4 10s; general reporter, £5;, senior reporter, £6 10s. Sub-editors are to receive not less than the prescribed rate for senior reporters. To the above wages is to be added a bonus of 13s to senior and general reporters, and of 6s to juniors and cadets. The staff proportions are fixed at; —For a staff of one, one general reporter; staff of two, one senior, one'general; staff of three, one senior, one general, one junior. One cadet is allowed for three or fewer reporters. The term of the award is from August 22, 1921, to December 31, 1922. The judge’s memorandum is as follows: “No recommendations were filed in this dispute. The award, in the main, follows on the lines of the Invercargill and Timaru awards, but the staff-grading clause has been to some extent based on the Auckland and Wellington country journalists’ awards, as, in the opinion of the court, the Oamaru newspapers are more properly classified with the newspapers coming under the latter awards than with those coming under the Invercargill and Timaru awards. The matter of the cost-of-living bonus has been settled, as in other cases, on a dominion basis. No complete cost-of-living figures are available for specified localities, but only figures for certain groups of commodities.