COAL MINES AWARDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19000, 24 October 1923, Page 11

COAL MINES AWARDS.

SPECIAL ORDER FILED. A DECREASE IN WAGES. An important order relating to the rates of remuneration fixed by all coal mines awards and industrial agreements now in force in New Zealand was made by the Arbitration Court in Wellington last week, ami brietly reported by telegraph. 'J he court found, incidentally, that the ascertained percentage of increase in the retail prices of food tor the month of September, ldY.6, over the retail prices of food current in July, 1914, was 44.77. The order which was filed here yesterday is as follows:—

Special provisions contained in each ot the coal mines awards and industrial agreements in the Northern, Westland, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland industrial districts give power to the court to increase or dimmish the excess rates of remuneration lixed and delined by the awards and industrial agreements over the standard rates as from May 1, and November 1, commencing on May 1, 1922, in the ratio between (a) the percentage of the increase in the retail prices of food for the preceding March on September respectively over the retail prices of food current in July, 1914, as shown by the Government Statistician's returns of the three food groups combined, and (b) the percentage of the increase (57.76) in the retail prices of food shown in the return for the month of January, 1920, over the retail prices of food current in July. 1914. It is further provided in the awards and agreements that in calculating the increases or decreases of lime rates the calculation shall be made to the nearest penny, and in the case of piecework rates to the nearest farthing.

The court’s decision was: That the excess rates of remuneration over and above the standard rates as fixed and defined by each of the awards and industrial agreements shall be diminished in the ratio which 57.76 bears to 44.77. “2. That this order shall operate and take effect as from November 1, 1923, and shall continue in force during the currency of each respective award and industrial agreement, or until such time as the court shall otherwise order. “3. That in the case of awards and industrial agreements in which the original percentage is fixed at less than 57.76, the ratio stated in clause 1 shall be varied accordingly. “4. That this order shall be deemed to be incorporated in and form part of each of the awards and industrial agreements respectively as from November 1, 1923. In an attached memorandum the court stated:— . “This order is made m accordance _ with the provisions of the danse headed ‘Variation of Rates’ appearing in the different coal mines awards and industrial agreements, The rJtes fixed by the aw aids and industrial agreements are, in the case of timo rates, 60 per cent, above the rates payable in 1914, and. in the case of piecework rates, 50 per cent, above the 1914 rates. The increases of 60 per cent, and 50 per cent, were adopted from the national agreement made in February, 1920. which provided for these Increases on the basis of the price statistics for food for the month of January, 1920, which then showed an increase of 57.76 per cent, over the prices ruling in July, 1914. The court accordingly decided to base subsequent sixmonthly increases and reductions of rates on the percentage of increase or decrease disclosed" by the Government Statistician’s returns of food prices for the months of March and September in each year. The 57.76 per cent, increase of January. 1920. was represented by an increase of 41.21 per cent, in March. 1922; 39.44 per cent, in September, 1922; 41.31 per cent, in March. 1923: and 44.77 per cent, in September, 1923. The variations in the rates of remuneration payable to coal miners do not coincide with the variations in the rates of remuneration of other workers, whose cost of living adjustments are, based on the all-groups statistics. The effect of the present order will be to increase their rates bv a. somewhat greater percentage than was the case under the last order of April 9, 1923. “The standard rates are equivalent to 100-150 of the time rates and 100-150 of the piecework rates set out in the awards and industrial agreements. The present increase, as in the case of the former reductions. applies only to the remaining 60-160 and 50-150 respectively. By way of illustration, we give two examples of the effect of this order on time and piece rates; —

“(a) A time rate of 16s is made up of 10s standard rate and 6s excess rate. The order of April 24, 1922. reduced the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.21—that is. to 4s 3d—making the total rate 14s 3d. Tire order of October 7, 1922. reduced the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 39.44 —that is, to 4s Id—making the total rate 14s Id. The order of April 9. 1923. reduced the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.31—that is, to 4s 3d—making the total rate 14s 3d. The present order reduces the 6s in the ratio of 57.76 to 44.77 —that is. |e 4s Bcl—making the total rate 14s Bd, or scl more than the present rate.

“(b) A piecework rate of 7s 6d is made up of 5a standard rate and 2s 6d excess late. The order of April 24, 1922. reduced the 2s 6d in the ratio of 57.76 to to 41.21 —that is. to Is 9Jd —making the total rate 6s 9itl The order of October 7. 1 9?.?, reduced the the 2s 6d in the ratio of 57.76 to 39.44 —that is. to Is 81d—makingt he tola! rate 6s BJ,d. The order of April 9. 1923, reduced the 2s 6J in the ratio of 57.76 to 41.31—that is, to Is 9|d —making the total rate 6? 9jd. The present order reduces the 2s 6d in the ratio of 57.76 to 44.77 that is. to Is Hid —making the total rate 6s Hid, ..or lid more than the present rate. “The eost-of-living legislation, from which the court derives its authority to make periodical revisions of the rates of remuneration, expires on December 31, 1923. and accordingly the rates now fixed will continue unchanged for the remainder of the currency of the respective awards and induslria! agreements, unless the parties agree to any further amendment.”