THE NEW BONUS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 45, 17 November 1920, Page 7

THE NEW BONUS

» ' * TO BE DISCUSSED BEFORE THE COURT. The Arbitration Court hns been asked to permit 11, general discussion of tlio new .cost of living tonus at a- special sitting of tho Court in Wellington on November 29. The Court, in announcing at Christohuroh its intention to grant nn additional bonua of 9s. per week, indicated that it was prepared to bear argument on tile proposal. Mr. 11. J. Reardon. who will appear for various unions affiliated to tho Trades and Labour Council, lias discussed the matter with Mr. W. Pryor, secretary of tho New Zealand Employors' Federation. The representatives ot tho parties agreed to ask tho Court to consider tho situation generally, without particular referenco to tl\e amendment of an award in any ono industry. It is likely tiiat tho Judgo mill consent to !this course. . OPPOSITION TO EMPLOYERS' CLAIMS. • By TeleiraDh—Preaß Association, Christchurch, November 16.' A conference of trade union secretaries was held for tho purpose of considering correspondence received from the Wellington Tracks and Labour Council with referenco to the latest bonus. to workers granted .by the Arbiitation Court and the Employers' Federation's opposition thereto. Tho conference decided that all pojsiblo assistance should be given to the Wellington Tjado3 and Labour Coimcil in its opposittoin to the federation's claims, and that unions bo invited to ■contribute on a membership basis. It was further arranged that Mr. J. M'Combs, M.P., should represent tho Canterbury unions in tEic Arbitration Court, in conjunction witb>tlio Welling, tqn advocate. The amount of the bonus was discussed, ana tho conference agreed .that it was inadequate. Excop'.tion was also taken to the Court's method of fixing the bonus, and it was agreed to ask the Court to give full effect ito tho clause in the 1918 legislation enabling the Court to tako into consideration any increase since the date of an (Ward or -agreement in the cost of. living affeofling tho workers or any class of workers engaged in such industry or industries. It was assorted that a ten per oont. increase in wages would not increase the cost of production in secondary industries by more lilian one and three-fifths per cent., and that in some industries a ten per cent, increase in- wages would not increaso tho cost of tho finished artiole by more than half of ono per cent. Tho price to the consumer of importbd articles would not be appreciably affected, whereas the prices of primary products, which are governed by the world's markots, would not bo affected at all.