WINTON SPECIALS THRESHING MILL EMPLOYEES

Southland Times, Issue 25747, 10 August 1945, Page 8

WINTON SPECIALS

THRESHING MILL EMPLOYEES

INCREASES IN WAGES

Increases in wages are provided in the Otago and Southland threshing mill and chaffcutter employees’ award, which has been issued by the Court of Arbitration. The principal matters referred to and settled by the court related to wages, meals, time allowance for shifting sets, minimum payment for any set, and exemptions. The minimum rates of wages to be paid to all threshing mill workers have been raised by 3yd to 2/sj.d an hour and found. A similar increase has been granted ■ header-harvester drivers, who shall be paid not less than an hour and found. “Other workers” shall be paid not less than 2/10d an hour and found. . In that portion of the industrial district south of the Shag River, workers employed at chaffcutting shall be paid at the rate of not less than lid per ton and found. When cutting straw chaff double rates shall be paid. North of the Shag River the rate for oat-sheaf chaff shall be 4/1 a 100 bags and found; for straw chaff, 5/2 a 100 bags and found; for oat-sheaf chaff, 4/5 a 100, bags found; for straw chaff, 5/6 a 100 bags, not found. Balers shall be paid at the rate of 4/9 a 100 bags of hay and The employer is to supply sufficient food of good quality for the following meals:—Breakfast, morning lunch, dinner, afternoon lunch, and tea. . The minimum wage for cooks has been increased by 12/10 a week, the rate now ranging from £4/7/10 to £5 17/10, depending on the number of men catered for. All the new rates are subject to the committee’s two cost-of-liv-ing bonuses. Time shall begin when the mill starts threshing the first set on any farm, and shall continue until the mill leaves such set. Thirty minutes shall be allowed and paid for the first setting and for each shift from set to set. These conditions are to apply until the whole of the threshing is completed on each farm. For each setting the minimum payment is to be two hours’ pay, including the allowance of 30 minutes. Steam-engine drivers shall not be covered by this award, and, provided a farmer does no threshing or heading off his own farm, the provisions of this award are not to apply to him when threshing or heading his own crops with his own plant on his own farm. The term of the award is one year from August 6, 1945.

AWARDS AMENDED MINIMUM WAGES RAISED Orders increasing the minimum wages payable under the Otago and Southland manufacturing chemists employees’ award and the preserved foods, jam, and starch factory employees’ award have been issued by the Arbitration Court. The wages of male workers under the chemists’ award have been increased by amounts ranging from 9/2 to 11/8, and the increases for boys and youths start at 3/6 and rise to 7/6. The scale for female workers has been raised in a similar manner to that for youths, and the rate for casual workers has been increased by 3Jd an hour. Meal money is to be paid at the rate of 2/-. All the increases are subject to the court’s two cost of living bonuses and are made retrospective to April 1. In a dissenting opinion the employees’ representative, Mr A. L. Monteith, states that the female rate of £3, after adding bonus and deduction tax, leaves the worker - with £2/17/3 on which to live. In view of present prices, he does not consider this sufficient.

Under the preserved food employees’ award, the increases for male workers range from 10/- to 11/-, and those for youths from 3/6 to 10/-. Female workers are to be paid rates increased on a scale ranging from 3/G to 10/6. Meal money is to be 2/-, and the new rates of pay are made retrospective to April 1. In a memorandum the court says that Mr W. Cecil Prime, the employers’ representative, does not think the amendment should be made, having regard to the requirements of the 'Economic Stabilization Emergency Regulations 1942.