WORK AND WAGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18464, 27 January 1922, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES

LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA. GOAL-MINE CONDITIONS. QUESTION OF REDUCED WAGES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, January 26. The official figures are not yet available, but it is officially stated that the coal miners’ ballot on the nine days’ fortnight proposal resulted in a decisive defeat of the proposal. The Board of Trade will sit on February 2 to reconsider its recent declaration reducing the basic wage to £4 2s per week for adult males. The colliery proprietors have invited representatives of the men to confer on the question of reducing wages. The reduced cost of living and a reduction of wages in some other industries arc given as reasons for this request, which the miners will consider at a meeting on January 31. Lysaght’s Galvanised Iron Works at Newcastle announce that, owing to the cost of production making it impossible to compete with the imported article, the works will probably close in February, rendering idle over 400 employees. THE BASIC WAGE. MR DOOLEY OPPOSED TO REDUCTION. SYDNEY, January 26. (Received Jan. 26, at 11.50 p.m.) Mr Dooley (the State Premier) said he would fight strenuously against any attempt by the Board of Trade to review the basic wage, as he doubts if the board has that power. If wages are reviewed the Government will be represented by counsel. LABOUR IN ENGLAND. THE MERCANTILE MARINE. OWNERS’ TERMS ACCEPTED. LONDON, January 25. (Received Jan. 26, at 5.5 p.m.) The seamen have accepted the shipowners’ terms, with corresponding reductions for officers.—A. and N.Z. Cable. [A cablegram which wo published yesterday morning stated that there was a crisis in the mercantile marine. The shipowners had intimated T to all ratings that if no settlement on the wages question was reached within a day or two they _ would have no alternative but to make their own arrangements when engaging men, and they must insist on the proposed reduction of £2 a month in the case of 'sailors and firemen.] WELSH TEN WORKS. FINE EFFORT BY THE MEN. LQNDON, January 24. The employees of the Llanelly Tin Plate Works are seconding their employers’ efforts to recapture the world’s markets. They are packing 125 boxes daily, which is a world’p record, the ordinary output being 80 boxes.—A. and N.Z. Cable. SCOTTISH RAILWAYS. WAGES AND CONDITIONS. UNION READJUSTMENTS. LONDON, January 26. (Received Jan. 26, at 7.25 p.m.) The Scottish Wages Board rejected a claim by the Scottish railway companies to increase the standard working day from eight hours to 10 hours, but it allowed t|ie eight hours to be spread over up to 10 hours, and in exceptional cases, where the work is intermittent, to 12 hours. The board also rejected a claim to discontinue the special payment for night duty, but allowed a sliding scale reduction of the wages award, which averaged an increase of 5s a week when granted in June) 1920.—A. and N.Z. Cable.