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Chronicle (Levin), 16 April 1947, Page 5

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-Press Association,

Claira Held Up ; Split In , Workers' Otitlook ?

3 y Telegraph-

- CHRISTCHURCH, April 15. Report^ of a. decis.ou of the B^ederation of Labour not to pro-' eeed at present with the application to tlie Arbitration Court for a pronoimeement increasing staiidard rates of wages by a sum cquivalent to iii a week, were cohlirnied by officiais of the Canterbury Trade Couneil of the Federation. An application that the Court pronounce an increase of 6d dn nour in nnskilled, semi-skilled arid skilled rates of wages with a pereentage increase for females and youths, was filed on Mafch 26 by the Federation under an amendment to t he Economie Stabilisation Emergency Regulations gazetted on March 13. However, no date i'or the hearing of the application has been asked for by the Federation and it is now most unlikely that action will be taken until after the annual eonferenee of the Federation in June, £ilthough a special eonferenee of the national council of the Federation has been ealled for May 8. ■ Most workers were led to believe that the application would be heard in April and settlements in many award disputes had been held up pendiiig an announcement by the Court. iNio tipplication for a general order was made as, in the opinion of the" Uovernment and the _ Federation 's national couneil, such application could not be made. "An .application for a pronouncement increasing standard rates of wages has been filed but no date for hearing by the Court has yet been requested because oi a difference of opinion that has arasen in the industrial movemenl uv-er the meaning of the -regulalions, " said Mr. A. B. Grant, secretary of the Canterbury Trades Council when he was questioned. The National Council oi: tne Federation of Labour is being called together on May 7 i'or a special meeting." "1 have not the slightcst doubt myself that the best interests oi' the lower paid workers would be served by the Federation of Labour taking immediate advantage of the terms oi' the present regulation,"%taid Mr. 11. G. Kiipatrieky viee-president. oi' the Trades Council, who was approachcd in the absenee in Wellington of the president, Mr. John Roberts. "That the matter has been held up is most regrettable and in my opinion is ciue to a lot of unnecessary confusion among people who should know better. On this issue , nere is a clear line of demarc. tion between those who are striving for a general order of £1 a week and those who realise that ihe time is long past when a special effort should be made to improve the lot,o£ the substandard workers who have been left well'behind in the struggle for higher wages. Unfortunatelv many workers in the latter group are supporting the first group to their own disadvantage." The unfortunate result of all this is that man-y awards awaiting settlemenf have been deferred until the terms of the wage increases are known. ' ' Mr. Kilpatriek said the latest dcvelopment will be discussed by the Canterbury Trades Council at i ts meeting on Thursday evening.