WAGES INCREASED

Southland Times, Issue 21273, 19 December 1930, Page 5

WAGES INCREASED

ELECTRICAL LINESMEN. NEW ARBITRATION COURT AWARD. (Ter United Press Association). Auckland,, December 18. An increase of one halfpenny an hour in wages has been granted by the Arbitration Court to two out of six classes of workmen covered by the Northern District Electrical Workers’ Award. The rates for linesmen have been advanced from 2/2 to 2/21 an hour and for linesmen’s assistants, from 1/111 to 2/-. The term of the award is two years from January’ 5, 1931, to the corresponding date in 1933.

The special circumstances under which this decision has been made are explained by Mr Justice Frazer (president of the Court) in a memorandum attached to the award.

A dissenting opinion has been attached to the award. Such dissenting opinion has been recorded by the Employers’ representative, Mr Cecil Prime. The memorandum of the president stated (inter alia) : “The majority of the Court considers itself bound, by its decision in the Dunedin City Corporation Linesmen and Linesmen’s Assistant Award made in 1929, to increase the rates for linesmen.and linesmen’s assistants. The Court, after having fixed the standard, must apply that standard until it decides (o alter it. Mr Prime dissents on this point and his dissenting opinion is appended.” Mr Prime's dissent contained the following comment: “The adpotion of the rate means imposing an added cost on an essential service. Such procedure at the present time is unjust, particularly in the country areas where producers are in urgent need of the means to reduce their costs. The Court should take into consideration more fully the economic condition of the country and act in accordance with the exigencies of the moment rather than be guided by what may have been done by a small minority of employers more than a year ago when general conditions were vastly different from those which are ruling to-day.