COAL MINERS’ WAGES

Otago Witness, Issue 3555, 2 May 1922, Page 25

COAL MINERS’ WAGES

A FURTHER REDUCTION. ARBITRATION COURT ORDER. The various awards in the coalmining industry reserved power to the Arbitration Court of its own motion and by general order to increase or diminish the excess rates of remuneration fixed in the awards above the standard rates as from May 1 and November 1. The first adjust was fixed as commencing on May 1 in the ration between *(a) the percentage of the increase in the retail prices of food for the preceding March or 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 that in calculating the increases or decreases of time rates the calculation shall be to the nearest penny, and in the case of piecework rates to the nearest farthing. The ascertained percentage of increase in the retail prices of food for the month of March, 1922, over the retail prices current in the month of July, 1914, is 41.21, and the .Arbitration Court has ordered: “That the excess rates of remuneration over and above the standard rates as fixed and defined by each of the said, awards shall be diminished in the ration which 57.76 bears to 41.21 The following memorandum is attached to the order, which becomes operative today:—“This order is made in accordance with the provisions of the clause headed “Variation of Rates” appearing in the different coal mines awards. The rates fixed by the awards are, in the case of time 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, mad® 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 six-monthly increases and reductions of rates on the precentage 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, is represented by an increase of 41.21 per cent, in March, 1922. The framers of the national agreement, in working on the food figures alone, no doubt had in view the fact that fluctuations in rents and coal prices do not affect miners to the same extent as they affect other people. It is to be noted that, the reduction in the rates of remuneration provided for in this order does not apply to the standard rates--that is. it is only the excess above the standard rates that is to be reduced in ihe ratio of 57.76 to 41.21. As indicated in the memorandum appended to each award, the standard rates are equivalent to 100-160tli of Ihe present time rates and 100-Isoth of the present piecework rates. The reductions affect only the remaining 61-163 th ain't 50 150th of these rates respectively.”