Decision In Claim For Equal Pay

Press, Volume C, Issue 29498, 27 April 1961, Page 16

Decision In Claim For Equal Pay

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 26. The question of equal pay for male and female assemblers employed in the electrical trade (radio section) is dealt with in a new award issued by the Arbitration Court for North Island electrical workers (radio section).

When the award was argued before the Court the workers’ representatives sought equal pay for male and female assemblers and the employers sought different rates of pay for males and females employed in checking work. The new award makes onlyone alteration to the wages under it. adult female workers being awarded an increase in their weekly wage, bringing it to the new figure of £8 Ils.

There is a qualification increase of 6s 8d per week to foremen holding registrations under the Electricians Act. 1952.

In a memorandum to the award, Mr Justice Tyndall says the applicant union of workers asked that classification “adult female assembler” should be deleted. “The effect of this proposal would be to lift the minimum rate of wages for adult female assemblers from £8 2s 9d to £l2 5s per week, an increase of £4 2s 3d per week or 50 per cent.,” states his Honour. "After careful consideration. the Court has decided to increase the minimum rate for adult female assemblers to £8 Ils per week and

to maintain the deflnitions tn the form which the parties originally determined, and have continued to adopt during the past 11 years.” Referring to the employers’ submissions at the hearing, his Honour said that these were proposals involving important changes to certain definitions of the 1960 award. Under that award female workers employed on any form of checking which fell within the scope of the definition “checker” were entitled to be paid a minimum rate of £l2 13s 3d per week. One of the effects of the proposals of the employers for the alteration of definitions would be to lower the prescribed minimum rate for female workers employed on certain limited checking operations from £l2 13s Sd to £8 10s 3d a week, a reduction of about 33 per cent.