WAGES INCREASE GRANTED

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1930, Page 9

WAGES INCREASE GRANTED

NEW AWARD FOR* LINESMEN.

■pfsSENT BY THE EMPLOYERS.

■' l IBy Telwaph.—Press Association. .. . Aucklandj Last Night. . An'increase ofone half-penny ah.hourin wdges has been granted by the Arbittatioh Court 'to,, two of six classes of workmen covered by the northern dis--i trict /electrical workers’ award, y Kates, i; for linesmen- -have been advanced from ' 2s2d to ?s. 2‘/ 2 d an hour and for lines- , men’s assistants -from .Is 11J to 2s. The i. term of the award- is two years from January 5, 1931, to corresponding date in' 1933. , ■ . ’ The special circumstances under Yh’.cU ,' this .-. decision ■ has i-.been ■ made • are ex- . plained by. Mr. Justice;, Fyazer, President- '- of the Court? in a memorandum attached to' the award. A dissenting opinion has been recorded by .the -employers representative,-Mr.; Cecil. Prime. -The memorandum of; the president stated, , infer alia: “A majority of the ..’Cp'urtj ; considered‘ itself’ •.bound.’ by .its , decision in the Dunedin city corporation linesmen’s and linesmen’s assistants - award, - made in 1929, to increase the rates for linesmen and linesmen’s assjstarits. The Courtafter having fixed the standard -must apply that; standard ' until it decides, to alter it. Air. Prime dissents on this’point and.his dissenting opinion is appended.”. /. . '. . ' ; . ' iMr. Prime’s dissent, contained the following'comment: “The. adoption of th# higher rate, means imposing added ebst oh an essential service.. Such procedr i ! .u?e at the 'present time is unjust, particularly .in/country areas'where’ the, producers are in urgent' need of means tp-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 fry what may have been done by a small minority df employers more than a year ago; iwhen the general conditions were vastly different from "those'■ which are .ruling to-day.”