H—4s

* hours) of 4d. per hour, were calculated to represent 3|d. per hour on the basic rate ox pay, and the cost-of-living bonuses were included in the basic rate at that figure. The new basic rate of pay of waterside workers as from Ist October, 1947, was therefore fixed at 3s. Bd. per hour, or Id. per hour above the skilled rate fixed by the Court of Arbitration. The average wage per man-week worked at main and secondary ports for the year ended 31st March, 1948, was £lO 16s. 6d., as against £9 13s. sd. for the preceding year. The increase of £1 3s. Id. per man-week can be attributed mainly to the increase in the basic rate of pay, to the additional time worked per week, and the payment of the guaranteed daily minimum of two hours. The basis adopted by the' Commission of calculating the average weekly wage on the man-weeks worked is as accurate as can be calculated for casual workers. During the current year, through the operations of the daily and weekly minimum payments, all waterside workers who were working or available for work would have received some payment for every week of the year, and therefore the average is spread over the full year and all men who were regularly working or available for work would have earned the average wage for their respective port over the full yearly period. The total amount of earnings of union waterside workers for all main and secondary ports for the year ended 31st March, 1948, was £2,894,926, as against £2,346,497 for the year ended 31st March, 1947, an increase of £548,429. Tables are published in the Appendix (pages 68-70) showing the average wage of waterside workers in the following returns : (a) Return showing the Average Wage of Unionists per Man-week for Years 1940-47, 1947-48, and 1940-48 (Appendix, page 68). (b) Return showing Earnings of Unionists for Year ended 31st March, 1948, analysed according to Income Groups (Appendix, page 69). (c) Return showing Average Total Earnings, Profit Distributions, Ordinary and Overtime Hours, Weeks, and Holidays worked by Unionists with Highest Earnings for Year ended 31st March, 1948 (Appendix, page 70). 6. GUARANTEED DAILY AND WEEKLY MINIMUM PAYMENTS The daily guarantee of two hours' work or payment in lieu thereof and the weekly guarantee of work to the value of £5 or payment in lieu thereof operated at main and secondary ports from 10th March, 1947, and this year is the first year that these guarantees have applied for the full year. During the year the principle of a guaranteed weekly minimum was extended to the ports of Whakatane, where a guarantee of £4 per week operates, Opotiki, where a guarantee of £3 per week operates, and Awanui, Whangarei, and Tokomaru Bay, where a guarantee of £3 10s. per week operates. Published in the Appendix (page 72) is a table showing the cost of daily and weekly minimum payments. The cost of the daily minimum payment was £38,799, the cost of the weekly minimum payment was £21,344, and the total cost was £60,143. It will be seen from the published table that the cost per man-week of operating the scheme at the ports of Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton has been very small, while the cost of operating the scheme at the ports of Oamaru, Greymouth, Gisborne, and Napier are substantial. The average per man-week varies from 2-35 d. at Auckland to 335. 4-19 d. per man-week at Oamaru. At the time the scheme was introduced it was estimated to cost approximately £lOO,OOO per annum, but owing to the large volume of work available during the year the payments were not as great as anticipated.

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