POWER TO ALTER WAGES

Chronicle (Levin), 14 March 1947, Page 4

POWER TO ALTER WAGES

-Press Associatipn

Arbilration Court Has New Authority

By Telegraph—

WELLINGTON, Alar. 13. ' The Court of Arbitration has been given new powers enablipg it, of "'its own motion, to amend , the wages provisiona of awards qr industrial agreements during their curr.ency. These powers ltigy be exercised conset|uent on tjhe issue of a staiidard wage pronoimcement by the Court. Tfiis is the general .effect of an amendment to the EeQnomic Stabiiiaatian Emergency liegfiJations 1,94.2 gazetted todajr. The JMinister of Stahilisation, Hon. D. Gr. Sullivan, said the last general ,yealignmeat of vyage rates under awards and industrial agreements was made in' 194o following the issue of a stand^rd wage pronouncement by the Court and . ainendment of the Economie Stahilisation Regulations authorising a yeview of wages in terms of such pronouncemept. The provision then mgde was deiined as being ' ' for the purpose of restoring or preserving a proper relationship with rates of other workprs or elasses of workers. "

"■ / The issue from time to time of.a standard wage pronouncement aa a procedure of the court is recognised under the regulations," said Mr. Sullivan. { Any\ union or Dominion organisation of workers or employers has the right to state a case to the Court asking f'or a new standard wage pronouncemjept. The Court 's new power( of amending, of its own motion, awards and' injiustrial agreements is to be exercised 'as it thinks lit' having regard both to.^ny increase in partieular rates under cpnsideration which may have been grapted since the last genei-jal realigmppnt, and also to the 'proper relationshjp' factor already referred to. "The purpose of the new amendment is to facilitate a rapid adjustment. of . wage rates. Where the Court does ?jot, --- qf its own motion, specifically amehd an . award or industrial agreement, applicatiojr for an amendment may be made by any party provided the award or industrial agreement is in force at the date of the new pronouncement, g,nd also where the Court makes an amejid- - ment of its own motion, it is open for an aggrieved party to apply for an adjustment to its award for the purppseof restoring 'proper relationship ' with rates under any other amended aw^rd _ or industrial agreement. T))P" Court may authorise an amendment to be retrospective to n date not e^-riier tljaa th,e date of the pronouncement. " The Coui;t remains free to make amendments up.de'r the pronobneement of March 17., 1945, where this has not already been done. Salaries, as distipct. from awprd wages, will continue to be dealt -vyith npder the existing machinery of the regulations,"