WAGES INCREASED

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21415, 6 March 1935, Page 15

WAGES INCREASED

NEW AWARD FOR POWER BOARD WORKERS A complete agreement on proposals for a new award was reached by assessors for the Christchurch branch of the Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades Industrial Union of Workers and district electric power boards of Canterbury in a conciliation council yesterday. The agreement provided for an increase of approximately 5 per cent, in the wages of linesmen and their assistants. The Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie, presided, and the assessors were:—For the employers, Messrs L. C. Vickery, F. A. Lewthwaite, A. Buckingham, and D. I. Macdonald; for the employees, Messrs J. Stoddart, J. It. Cox, D. Griffiths, and G. T. Thurston.

The rates agreed on were:—Electrical workers and servicemen, £4 «s 6d a week or Is ll£d an hour for casual workers; linesmen, £4 5s (Is lld>; linesmen's assistants, £3 15s (Is 85x1): labourers Is 7d an hour. It was agreed that overtime should be paid for at the rate of time and a quarter for the first two hours and time and a half thereafter, and that all permanent workers should receive one week's holiday on full pay on completion of a year's service. The clause governing under-rati; workers was referred to the Arbitration Court.