Carpenters Ask For Rise In Wages

Chronicle (Levin), 4 May 1948, Page 7

Carpenters Ask For Rise In Wages

WELLINGTON, May 3.. An application fbr an increase of llcl hourly in wage rates paid to workcrs of New Zealand (except Otago and Southland) Carpenters' and :Joiners' Machinists Union, was heard today oy the Arbitration Court. During- tlie hearing the union representative, - Mr. R. .jtanley,,said 80 per cent. of nnion. uiembers were already enjoyiug an increase. , • " , Tji,e , .yaipjn. (jlaim'ed. a. minimum wage' of 3s 84d hourly' for workers cdvereu Oy the award. The grounds for the application were to xestore or preserve the relationship existong as in Marcli or April, 1945, betvveen the' union 'a award and other awards applying to tlie building industry. " Owing' to the-" method tlie Court has adopted in amending varions buiid- . ing trade awards, '. aUomalies had been created in wage rates," said Mr. iStanlev. "These anomalies exist aa between the carpenters' and joiners' award On the oue hand and with tne plumbers and gasfitters award aua plasterers, fibrous plasterers, and tiielayers' award on the other hand." Atthough the three classes of workers were on the same wage rate in Marcli or April, 1946, by the end of' Septein* ber, 1947, the relationship between hbrous plasterers and carpenters and joiners had been disturbed in that the former's hourly wage rate had been increased by 21d an liour but the increase for the latter had been lVd. Similarly the relationship between carpenters and joiners and plumbers and gasfitters had uot been preserved. The employers' representative, Mr. J. R. Hanlon, said the granting of tliu application would have the effect oi nullifving the Court 's standard wage pronouncement of 1947. The Court should not be limited to a consideration of awards applying only to tne building industry. It was entitled to consider the various awards whicli made provision for tradesmen. "There is a vital dift'erence between the abmties of some of the tradesmn for whom a liigher rate than 3s 7d has been fixed and of those who can qualify for payment as carpenters," said Mr. Hanlon. "Any able bodied person able to use a saw and hammer may, if he odtains employment as a earpenteer, demand payment at the tradesmen 's rate. An increase in wages in this industry would be followed by applications not only from other skilled workers ^ but also from semi-skilled and unskilled workers.'.' After submissions had been hearu, Mr. Stanlev asked that the Court 's decision be made available by May li. Deputy Jud;ge Dalglish' said he eoulcl not promise the Court 's decision by that date, but added ttfat it would not be long delayed.