RESTORING WAGES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19100, 22 August 1936, Page 15

RESTORING WAGES

EMPLOYERS' PDSifION

ASSESSMENT DIFFICULTY

As a result of a warning, by the Lafcour Department- to employers who haoVmade no attempt to restore to employees the 1931 rates of pay, tba£ they must eomp'y promptly with the legislation, largo numbers of Auc£ : laid employers have sought information on the subject _£ I Commenting on the position, Mr. W. E Anderson, secretary of the "A.ucKlaud Employers' Association, said the question of what rates were to be paid was often very obscure and he thought employers who had nor paid wages on the 1931 basis were simply waiting- for -*omo - of what should be paid. ... Conditions of employment relating to wages ttnacr the awards in 1931 anoV those mling at present had changed materially in some industries. Furthermore, in such instances as the shops assistants' or grocers' awards, the 1931 award rates of pay also had to be applied to present awards, subject to the Shops and Offices Amendment Act. In other words, the 1931 award rates of payment or the Shops tod Offices Amendment Act rates of payment, whichever was the greater, had to be paid from July 1. Mr. Anderson said his association had worked out new scales of wages to apply to grocers' -assistants and grocers' drivers and to shop assistants generally and to storemen, packers and porters in shops, and these had just been issued to employers. Wherever both age and experience were factors that had to be taken into consideration in assessing wages, employers could not be expected to pay "the new rates until reliable and comprehensive scales had been worked out forgeneral guidance. So far as the position relating to contracts of serw£§'Was concerned it was often very dbMre and it was obvious that many points hid to be determined before payment could be made in all cases.