CLAIM FOR SKILLED MARGIN FOR WHARFIES IS REJECTED

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 September 1950, Page 7

CLAIM FOR SKILLED MARGIN FOR WHARFIES IS REJECTED

WELLINGTON, Yesterday (PA).An application by the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union for an additional 9d an hour as a margin for skill above the basic wage rate of 4s 3d an hour is rejected in a majority judgment issued by the Waterfront Industry Authority. The union s representatives on the Authority, Messrs Dellaway and Flood, recorded their dissent from the decision.

The basic wage rate was increased bj' 3d to 4s 3d an hour by a decision of the Authority on July 5, and the union then made an application for an additional skill margin of 9d. Today's judgment stated that the Authority had heard full argument i from both sides on the question and I had also Inspected waterside work. NOT SKILLED WORK I “In the opinion of the Authority waterfront work is certainly not skilled work in the sense that the journeyman's work in, say, the engineering industry, may be said to be skilled,” stated the judgment. "Nevertheless, some jobs require a certain amount of experience and the standard of other classes ot waterside work may be improved with experience and the consequent acquisition of the knowledge of what is expected in the performance of the work. This experience and knowledge does not, however, justify the granting of an extra amount over and above the present wage rate. "In coming to this conclusion the Authority had regard to the fact that the wage rate is fixed for all classes c: waterside work. Some classes of the work necessitate the gain n g of a certain amount of experience before workers can be left to perform the work without close supervision, while other classes of the work require little or no experience to enable the workers to perform work adequately and efficiently. “It should be further pointed out that every person performing the work coming within the main order of the commission is entitled to receive the full wage, even though he has had no experience whatever. For the percentage of the work which may be regarded as requiring experience, a liberal allowance is already made in the rate of 4s 3d a hour at present payable. “The union’s application for an additional 9d an hour for skill is therefore rejected?' The judgment added that it rejected the union's claim that the wage paid to similar workers in Australia or elsewhere should bear a direct and constant relationship to the wages in New Zealand.