GOODS AND SERVICES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26542, 18 August 1947, Page 4

GOODS AND SERVICES

INCREASE PROMISED TRADE UNION MOVEMENT P.A. WELLINGTON, Aug. 17. In an effort to increase purchasing power, the trade union movement would co-operate for an increase in the volume of goods and services, said Mr K. McL. Baxter, Secretary of the Federation of Labour, commenting on the Arbitration Court’s wage decision to-night. In the federation’s opinion, he said, an increase in purchasing power would be achieved with an increase in the number of persons occupied in the factories and on the land. Mr Baxter said the 1947 annual conference of the federation had instructed the calling of a meeting of representatives of 19 trades councils and the National Executive to give consideration to the court’s pronouncement. This meeting would be called in due course. The increases in the prices of goods and services following the withdrawal of subsidies would be a subject for serious thought by the workers and their unions. Dealing with the net wage increases, he said the court’s pronouncement, embodying the 1940 and 1942 general order wage increases in the new standard hourly wage rates, meant that from October 1 the unskilled worker on 3s lid an hour for 40 hours’ work would receive, after the deduction of social security charges, a net wage of £5 15s 7id, or a net increase of 9s. Semi-skilled workers, on hourly rates of from 3s 2Jd to 3s 5Jd, would receive from £5 8s BJd to £6 7s 2d, a net increase of from 8s 10id to 9s 3d. Skilled workers on an hourly rate of 3s 7d would receive a net wage of £6 12s 7d. or a net increase of 9s 9jd.