WORKERS' INCREASED BONUS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 68, 13 December 1919, Page 13

WORKERS' INCREASED BONUS

BALLOTS OF UNIONS NOT .NECESSARY. By Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, December 12 Recently the Arbitration Court was supplied with figures froiii the Government Statistician which went' to showthat owing lo t'lio increased cost of cloth-, inj, fuel and light the workers wove entiilod to receive another penny per hour by way of compensatory bonus. As there is no machinery by which the Court can make, orders amending awards tluougih- • out is'cw Zealand it directed union* in all proper cases to apply individually for this bonus to which tlicy are entitle;). At the cloio of the silting of the Arbitration Court to-day, Mr. L. F. Evans, a union secretary, asked if iO would bo nccessary in making. these applications to comply strictly with the regulations by taking a ballot of members. Mr. Justice Stringer said tibe Court did not want to put unions to any needless - f.xpense, and he did not consider that it was necessnry to take a ballot. So long as an application was confined to the bonus in question, a resolution passed by the union would bo sufficient authority, and would be accepted My tho Court. The Court has decided tQ .l>ring. the bonus into fo:ce on January 1, and any union making application after that date will, be entitled to receive retrospective payment.