PAINTERS AND PLUMBERS

Southland Times, Issue 25669, 11 May 1945, Page 2

PAINTERS AND PLUMBERS

GENERAL INCREASES IN PAY General increases in the rates of pay provided in the New Zealand painters and decorators’ award have been granted by the Court of Arbitration as a result of an application for a review of the award made under the recent amendment to the Economic Stabilization Regulations, 1942. The hourly wage rate has been increased from 2/9 to 3/01, plus the court’s bonuses. Meal money has been increased to 2/- a meal. The country work board and lodging allowance has been increased from 5/to 6/- for each working day, but this rate is not to be subject to the court’s bonuses. The country work overtime rate has been increased by Id to lid an hour above ordinary rates. All hourly rates for painters engaged on ship work have been increased by 31d. The weekly wage rates have been raised by 10/—. In a memorandum to the amended award Mr Justice Tyndall states: “In various Government services allowances for board and lodging when workers are required to work away from their headquarters have generally been increased during the past two years. It is considered, therefore, that an increase in the allowance for board and lodging provided in the ‘country work’ clause is justified. The appreciable increase awarded in the hourly rate of wages also justifies a review of the special rate for overtime in the country work clause. With regard to the application of the workers’ association that the rates for workers in charge, dirty work, height money, travelling allowance, bicycle allowance and spray-gun work, should in general be proportionately increased, it has not been shown to our satisfaction that rates of this nature have recently been varied to such an extent by any award, industrial agreement, or otherwise to justify the granting of the union’s application. DISSENTING OPINION > Dissenting from the opinion expressed in the memorandum, the workers’ representative, Mr A. L. Monteith, states: “I am not in agreement with the amount awarded as country allowance or with the decision not to increase dirt money payments. By recent Railway Tribunal decisions the dirt money payment for certain work in the locomotive running sheds has been increased from ljjd to 2jd an hour, and all allowances for country work have been increased, the lowest by 1/- a day, while the average increase is about 2/6 a day. Here the increase awarded is about 9d a day. It is, therefore, clear that, in this respect the position of painters has not been restored, but, in comparison with the general wage structure, their position has been lowered.” The court has also issued an order concerning its review of the New Zealand plumbers and gasfitters’ award, in which provision is made for increases similar to those in the amended painters’ award. BOTTLING FACTORY EMPLOYEES Increased Wages; Reduced Hours In the New Zealand bottling factories employees’ award, which has just been issued by the Court of Arbitration, the hours of work in the case of motor drivers have been reduced from 44 to 40 a week, and for all other classes of workers they have been reduced from 42 to 40 a week. • The rates of wages for motor drivers have been adjusted, the court taking into account the reduction in hours and the rates payable under the general motoi’ and horse drivers’ award, as well as the recent pronouncement on hourly rates. The rates for other classes of workers have been increased in line with other recent decisions of the court, but no allowance has been made for the reduction in hours from 42 to 40 for the reason that the basic rate of £4/10/prescribed in the expired award is the same as the minimum rate which has applied in general during the past few years to factory workers who have been required to work 40 hours a week only. The employees’ representative, Mr A. L. Monteith, expresses dissent, and has attached the following opinion to the award:—“l dissent totally from this award. The wages awarded start at £5, and with the two general orders added, less deductions, workers on this rate will receive a cash payment of £4/16/3 each week to live on. I am also not .in agreement with several other clauses.” The increases in wages range from 1/6 to 10/- a week, and are additional to the cost-of-living bonuses granted by the court. Casual labour is to be paid for at the rate of 2/9 an hour, an increase of 3|d. Other matters settled by the court related to classifications,

special clothing and footwear, sick pay, holidays, accommodation, meal times, right of entry, and date of coming into force of the award. The term of the award is one.year from April 1 last.