TYPISTES’ SALARIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25801, 23 March 1945, Page 6

TYPISTES’ SALARIES

Sir,—l heartily endorse what Legal has to say regarding .th.e rate of . salary for legal typistes. It is a crying^ shame that we have to sit back and watch other girls with less experience, and much younger than ourselves soar up to £3 ana more per week whde we have to flunk ourselves fortunate to get £2 10s or„.thereabouts. Is it any wonder there is so much unrest amongst legal employees? How are we expected to pay our" board and clothe ourselves decently after, the Government > has had its share, when, the cost of living is so high? It impossibility to save any money/-’ana . S as lor girls trying-to. get things together; to be married, it is absolutely out of the question. Certainly we are privileged with good holidays, but as far as I can make out ; it is the only advantage we have. I do hope , the union is going to do something for us on Monday night.—l am, etc., Another Legal Typlste. ; Dunedin,' March 22.

Sir,—l am indeed, pleased to see that someone has at long last brought before the public the position of legal typistes salaries. Tf is time that something done to increase our wages. It is true what “ Legal ” has said, that other girls our own age, even younger in some cases and with less experience, are getting much higher wages. Young girls leaving school can start with 25s per weeki while we started with only 15s, and have to work up from there to get £2 15s, The first three years we work we get a 4s rise every six months, and after that it is only 5s (or thereabouts) once a year. When we reach £2 Iss we cannot go any further. It would not be so bad if, when we did reach the stage of £2 15s, we got that amount net, bub the Government has to have its share—namely, 6s lld-rthus leaving us with the large surq of £2 8s Id, out of which we are ext pecLd to pay our board, clothe ourselves) and even invest in war bonds, etc. Legal typing is not an easy job, as anyone from legal offices will tell you. Typing wills and Supreme Court documents is a big strain upon one, and needs careful typing. It is not fair that we. who are doing such work, should get less wages than those who are typing invoices and other such things, and who .get a higher rate of pay. The union is having its annual meeting on Monday evening, and 1 trust that something will be done to rectify the whole position and to place us on the same footing as our fellow workers. —I am, etc.. Legal Slave. Dunedin, March 22.