Wage Rates Under Shearers' New Award

Chronicle (Levin), 11 September 1948, Page 6

Wage Rates Under Shearers' New Award

WELIrlNGTON, Sept. 10. , Tlie Conciliation Couneil agreemeut embodyiug the 20 per eent increase in the rates of pay for shearers and shed hands has been ratilied by tlie Court o'f Arbitration and was issued today as an amendment .to the existing award for the industry. The award operates for a terrn of three years with wage rates adjusted each year proportionately with the movemeuts of the index numlier prepared by the Governmeut Statistician and based on the avterage floor prices realised at New Zealand saies for representative types of wool. The rates for the 1948-49 season, which apply for a year as from today together with last year 's figures in parentheses, are: — tShearing by •maehine, £2 5s 6d. per 100 (£1 J8s); shearing by blade, £2 Ss per 100 (£2 0s Gd); pressers by hour, 3s 8id (3s ld); shed hands by the hour, 3s 64d (2s lld); cooks by the week. for 12 men or under, £8 7s 3d (£6 3s) ; cooks by the day, £1 6s 9d (£1 3d). Where more than 12 jjersons are to be cooked for the rates are increased a- -nrding to the number involved. Cooks' assistants are to receive £6 12s 3;1 by tlie week compared with £5 8s last year. By the day they are to rej i mve £1 Is 2d compared with 18s Sd j last year. All workers are to have "free found ' ' in addition to these rates, but where food is not supplied the workers are to receive 6s a day allowance for 'seven days of tlie week. The figure last year w5.s 5s. The minimum crutching ! rate is to be 10s per 100 compared with, 8s per 100 last year.