THREE SCALES OF WAGES

Taranaki Daily News, 29 August 1933, Page 9

THREE SCALES OF WAGES

APPRENTICESHIP ANOMALIES “PATCHWORK OF LEGISLATION.” NO PROVISION FOR BETTER TIMES. NEW ACT BY PARLIAMENT URGED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The general revision of civil contracts undertaken by Parliament last year included a review of apprenticeship contracts, power being given to magistrates to amend, suspend or cancel any such contracts in force at the date of the passing of the Finance Act of May 10, 1932. Anomalous results that have followed the legislation and the .exercise by magistrates of that jurisdiction conferred upon them were discussed in the Arbitration Court when application was made for an amendment of the wages scale in the printing trades apprenticeship order of 1926.

The proceedings disclosed that by a general order of the coui't in 190 l the wages in subsequent apprenticeship contracts were fixed at 10 per cent, less than the rates specified by the existing orders. Under the 1932 . legislation reductions had been made in different industries, decisions by magistrates ranging from 15 to 50 per cent, of the basic rates, but those decisions did not affect contracts made since May 10, 1932. The president of the Court, Mr. Justice Frazer, said amendment of the printing trades order would not entirely remove the anomaly in that industry. There would be one scale of wages determined by the magistrates, a second operating in the case of contracts, made after May 10, 1932, and a third fixed by the proposed amendment. \

His Honour said that in the present patchwork state of the legislation there was the further difficulty that there was apparently.no power, if business conditions improved, to increase wages during the term of the contract. Whether Parliament would pass ’ another amendment to enable this to be done, he did not know.

“It is very difficult with the legislation as it now stands to avoid .creating anomalies,” his Honour added. “I should like to see the whole question of apprenticeship dealt with again by Parliament and put on a sound basis. It does not seem to be very satisfactory at present.”