LABOUR MANIFESTO.

Otago Witness, Issue 3249, 21 June 1916, Page 4

LABOUR MANIFESTO.

UNA FFTLTA TE D T'NIONS DISSATISFIED. WELLINGTON, June 16. A manifesto lias been issued by the Trades and Labour Council and representatives of unaffiliatcd un ens expressing dissatisfaction with recent awards of the Arbitration Court. The increase in the cost of living since July, 1914, according to the Government Statistician, was 17.57 per cent., and the relief proposed by the court was a war bonus of only 10 per cent. The Wellington timber workers and yardmen were given one penny per hour increase—equal to about 7 per cent., and the casual labourers Is instead of the Is 3a laic! clown by the court for casual workers. In the drapers’ award the lowest-paid men were left at the old wage of F2 5s for porters and £2 10s for storemen. The waterside workers wore able to do better by direct negotiations with the employers. _ . The manifesto considers that the wage of casual and unskilled woricors snould not bo less than Is 6d per hour. The languishing condition of industries has been the ground for low wages, though the court lias informed the union representatives that tho court cannot consider tho prospects of living wages. Tho manifesto states that it is difficult to' understand on what considerations the courts make the awards.