EXEMPTIONS FROM WAGES CUT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1931, Page 6

EXEMPTIONS FROM WAGES CUT.

It is difficult to sec the grounds for the petulent action of the Labour representative before the Arbitration Court at Auckland. The sitting of the Court was for the purpose of hearing claims for exemption from the recent 10 per cent, cut in award wages, a ruling that had necessarily to be universal in application if it were to deal fairly with all concerned. Admitting this, the Court realised that there might still be cases in. which the cut might press with undue harshness and was prepared to hear application for exemption in such cases. Apparently the Labour organisations in Auckland interpreted thio to mean that because certain occupations made greater demands upon employees than others they should not be subject to the cut in wages, and they made application for exemption accordingly. The president of the Court, Mr. Justice Wazer, had no difficulty in showing the, unsoundness of the Labour viewpoint. Conditions of employment had, he said, been considered when awards were made, and had influenced the awards given. "What was necessary to obtain exemption from the 10 per cent, cut was something special, which put the case for certain employees on a different footing from that of the workers covered by other awards. This ruling the Labour representative considered unfair treatment, and he withdrew the applications for exemption. His attitude is scarcely likely to appeal to the general public as wise. It may be, as he argued, that owing to economic conditions the casualness of employment has been increased, but, as Mr. Justice Frazer reminded him, had the Court not been fully aware of this and its effect upon workers’ cannings the cut might have been heavier than 10 per cent. Everyone regrets the necessity for making a cut, but the one thing essential is that it should apply with absolute impartiality to all employees working under Court awards. Anything that interferes with that principle would be mischievous and unsound.