ADEQUATE FAMILY WAGE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25393, 26 November 1943, Page 4

ADEQUATE FAMILY WAGE

THE LOWER PAID WORKERS REQUEST TO GOVERNMENT (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 25. The minimum wage provisions and stabilisation provoked a lively discussion at the national conference of delegates of the New Zealand Labourers’ Federation to-day. The following resolution was adopted: “That the Government be approached with a request that it should bring down legislation to provide all workers with a guaranteed wage on similar lines to that provided in the Essential Industries Regulations, ar.d that in view of the unfair application of stabilisation to lower-paid workers whose wages, whilst ostensibly stabilised as at December 15, 1942, were actually fixed in November, 1937, the Government be asked to expedite the implementation of its election promise given by the Prime Minister. Mr P. Fraser, as leader of the Labour Party to bring into being an adequate family wage calculated to maintain an average family at a reasonable standard of comfort.” A further resolution was adopted as follows:—“ That the Government be asked to amend the Social Security Regulations by which a wage earner who is off work through illness or accident received on the job is penalised by having his income reduced at a time when his family required assistance.” The conference demanded that the amendment be calculated to overcome those anomalies and to provide that a wage earner so laid aside would have his income maintained. The principle of annual holidays on pay for all workers was endorsed by the conference, which decided to ask the Government to implement its promise to make provision for this auestion, which particularly .concerns members of the unions affiliated to the federation.

An allegation was made that the penalties imposed on workers in the magistrate’s courts for breaches of the man-power regulations were out of proportion to those imposed on employers. It was decided to make an emphatic protest and to make representations to the Government.

A resolution allying themselves “ with the British trade unions in their opposition to the release of the Fascist, Sir Oswald Mosley,” was carried by the delegates.