COST OF LIVING BONUS

Southland Times, Issue 19516, 16 May 1922, Page 5

COST OF LIVING BONUS

ACTION DEFERRED BY FREEZING COMPANIES. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, May 15. In connection with the bonus cut, the secretary of the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union has received a letter from the acting-secretary for the South Island Freezing Companies stating that no reduction of wages, following the Court’s pronouncement, will be made until further notice, as at present there is some ambiguity as to the interpretation of the Court’s pronouncement. NO AMBIGUITY. AUCKLAND, May 15. Regarding the Christchurch telegram regarding freezing workers, the registrar of the Arbitration Court stated that he knew of no ambiguity in the general order, but he thought the message might refer to some difficulty in deducting the per hour reduction from the existing percentage increases. If this is the case it is a mattsr peculiar to freezing workers’ awards, and does not create any difficulty in the case of other awards. It is possible there has been some misreading of the terms of the general order. CHRISTCHURCH MUNICIPAJ EMPLOYES. A NOTICE WITHDRAWN. CHRISTCHURCH, May 15. The Labour members of the City Council waited on the Mayor this afternoon and protested against the issue of a notice to Council employees that the Arbitration Court’s bonus reduction would operate from May 23, on the ground that such notice was not authorised by the Finance Coni mittee and was in any event contrary to the decision of the Council fixing the wages of the employees. It was contended by the speakers that the Council alone, after due notice had been given, could authorise any wage reduction. The Mayor authorised the Town Clerk to withdraw the notice#. The secretary of the Southland Employers’ Association (Mr F. A. Webb) advises that before putting the reduction into effect it will be necessary for each employer to give notice of his intention to do so, as follows:—To workers paid at hourly rates hours notice; to workers employed at daily rates 24 hours’ notice; to workers employed at weekly rates one week’s notice; to workers employed at monthly rates one month’s notice, provided the award does not stipulate shorter or longer notice. No application to the Court by employers is needed, except in cases in which it is desired that a greater reduction than 5/per week should be made.