ABSURDLY LOW

Southland Times, Issue 19461, 28 January 1925, Page 8

ABSURDLY LOW

RATES FOR SKILLED MECHANICS. Correspondence recently passed between the Wellington Engineers’ Union and the Minister of Railways (the Hon. J. G. Coates) in regard to the payment of members of the Union in the Government employ. The Union forwarded the following letter to the Minister:— “It .was pointed out at the last meeting of the above Union that some skilled mechanics in the employ of the Post and Telegraph workshop on the King’s Wharf, Wellington, are in receipt of wages less than the minimum of 2s 2d per hour and £4 15s 4d per week, allowed by the Court of Arbitration. It is felt by the Union that this rate by the Government retards the Court, and the employers, from increasing the absurdly low minimum mentioned, and we wish to record our disapproval of the Government setting an example for so low a minimum for skilled work, and trust that the position may be altered.” The reply of the Minister was as follows: “In reference to your letter of the IGth instant, pointing out that skiUed mechanics in the employ of the Post and Telegraph Department are in receipt of wages less than the minimum fixed by the Court of Arbitration, I have to inform you that the commencing wage for a mechanic is 2s Id an hour, and that as soon as a mechanic can show that he is a first-grade man he is paid at the rate of 2s 2d an hour. The present arrangement was made only after the whole question had been very carefully considered, and it is not proposed at present to alter it,’*