FIXING THE BASIC WAGE

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1930, Page 6

FIXING THE BASIC WAGE

LABOUR UNION’S SCHEME PARLIAMENT INSTEAD OF COURT/ / . MINISTERS TURN DOWN PROPOSAL By Telegraph.—Press Association. ( Wellington, Last Night. A request that the basis wage for general'labourers should be fixefl by Parliament in order that they might be assured of a living wage was made to tlm Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. E. A. Ransom) and the Minister of Labour (the Hon. S. G. Smith) to-day by a deputation representing the General Labourers’ Union. It was urged that owing to the intermittent nature of their work general labourers were unable tp a living wage. While expressing sympathy with the lot of the working man, Mr. Ransom made it plain that the Government had no intention of- transferring, to t Parliament the duty of the Arbitration Court. , • “ , , xx. Mr. R. Semple, M.P., introduced the deputation, which, he said, would show that the basic -wage> was a misnomer so far as the general labourer was concerned. Owing to the intermittent nature of his work the general labourer was on the bread line all the year round, and it was marvellous how he and his family lived. • . ' Mr. T. L. Barker, president of the union, said it was hpld that the basic wage was based on a wrong premise, and they wanted to see the wage fixed y; by statute. . . - Mr. P. Butler, secretary of the.union, said the wage of a labourer in New Zealand did not exceed £3 15s. a week. How could a main sustain a home, a wife and a family on such a, miserable Wage ? There were cases in which itneii oil the basis wage were paying £2 7s. 6d. a week for rent. The principle that the labourer was entitled to. a bonus to counteract the casual nature of his work was recognised -in Australia, where in most of the awards a bonue of 20 per . cent, was included. , . ' Mr. Butler alleged that there were numerous contractors who stood over their men, and when they found they were not doing so much work as they did when they were first engaged, .dismissed them and replaced them with other men. He wished to impress bn the Government the urgent need for a , review of the position. They made only one request, and that was that a labpurer should be able to earn at least' the basic wage of £4 os. Bd. MINISTER’S SYMPATHY'.

The Minister of Labour said he hop?d the deputation would understand that his sympathy was with the man. “I have lived the life of the loyter paid man,” he said, “and so long ?,s I am in Parliament I want to do my best to help that man. The, question,raised by the deputation is a very difficult apd a very important one. It is a very difficult matter for tlie Government to interfere with the Arbitration Court. Say, for instance, that the Government interfered with an award of the court at the request of.'the employers, every worker in the country would Jiave a kick. Mr. W. Nash, M.P.: It-has been done. . The Minister: I am still looking for a precedent. Only tHe day before yesterday I had a demand from employers in my own district to have an award reviewed. If anything can be done to assist the lot of W labourer, then I .Will be with you. '’This question, however, is one for Cabinet. . _ Mr. Ransom said he.quite agreed with his colleague so far as the lot of the o-erieral labourer was concerned. .The point raised by .various TP^ n " 1 ed up a very big question, Indeed. What their request amounted to was that they should be guaranteed - a certain wage irrespective of the quantity of (.wp/k they did. If Parliament fixed a definite wage they could not expect the employ er to find the money necessary. The money would have to be found in otMr directions, and that, would probably mean that the primary producer would have to bear the burden. The average dairy farmer was at present long hours and not earning on an aver age anything more than the basic wage fixed for labourers. ■ The Acting-Prime Minister said he had been impressed by the statement that some workers "were paying as much as £2 7s. 6d. for rent. If that were so * it was an impossible position and should be inquired into. ‘ ? “The suggestion, that we should legislate to transfer powers of the Arbitration Court to Parliament would.be out of the question at. any time,” said Mr. Ransom, “and particularly at the present time. The Government has no. .in-, tention of taking the duty of fixing wages on to its own shoulders.”