WAGES RESTORED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20283, 18 April 1934, Page 1

WAGES RESTORED.

Australia Abolishes Ten Per Cent Cut. HIGHER WAGES FROM MAY 1. United Press Assn—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. MELBOURNE. April 17. The Chief Judge, Mr Justice Dethridge, and Mr Justice DrakeBrockman, of the Federal Arbitration Court, have issued a majority decision on the application made by a number ot unions for rescission of the 10 per cent emergency cut The cut is abolished and new basic wage rates operate as from May 1. The new weekly basic wage rates :n State metropolitan areas will be as follow

The judgment affects about 600,000 employees. The basic wage outside the metropolitan areas will be three shillings less than in the respective capitals, except in Newcastle, which will be the same as Sydney, and in Geelong, where the rate will be £3 3s. Special provisions are inserted in the judgment to cover certain State services. Mr Justice Beeby, in a separate judgment, expressed the opinion that the wage should be related to production rather than to the cost of living, and that the awards should have been more substantial. He sug-

The small increase needed in some instances to restore the ten per cent cut is due to the fact that the basic wage has been gradually increased in accordance with the rise of the cost of living since the cut was imposed in 1931.

Increase. £ 5. d. s. d. Sydney ....... 3 7 6 0 7 Melbourne . . . . 3 4 0 0 8 Brisbane . . . . . . 3 1 0 1 8 Adelaide . . . . . . 3 4 0 3 10 Perth .......... 3 6 0 6 9 Hobart 3 7 6 2 8

gested:— £ 5. (1‘ Sydney ............ 3 9 0 Melbourne ...-.... 3 5 5 Adelaide .......... 3 8 0 Brisbane .......... 3 5 0 Perth ............ 3 5 0 Hobart ............ 3 6 0