CARPENTERS’ WAGES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 131, 26 February 1921, Page 8

CARPENTERS’ WAGES

RESISTANCE TO REDUCTION SOME MEN LEAVE THEIR JOBS | A STATEMENT BY THE EMPLOYERS A number of carpenters—it was not possible to ascertain how many—yesterday left their jobs on being informed that thenceforward the maximum rate of wages to be paid was 2s. 9d. an hour. The men who quitted their employment had been receiving rnoro than 2s. 9d, Some of them told a reporter that they had been earning ns much as 3s. fid. The workers are evidently acting in accordance with the resolution they passed at the mass meeting held in tho Town Hall on Thursday night, when they pledged.’ themselves to refuse to accept any reduction in their wages. By no means nil the carpenters employed in Wellington city and B .' lbur n l; ' i have been receiving more than 2 s. 9d. an hour, so that while a number of men are having their wages reduced, the majority, in all probability, are not immediately affected by the fixing ot the maximum at 2s. 9d. So far us can lie gathered, only men whose pay is subject to reduction are stopping work. A meeting of the men who have stopped is to be held in the Trades Hall this afternoon. Employers’ Statement. .The following official statement was issued yesterday on behalf of tho Builders- and Contractors' Association “The published statements respecting carpenters’ wages have not put the position quite clearly or correctly. The tacts "(a) That the actual award Tate for carpenters in Wellington and within a 50-mile radius at the present time is 1 ■ 9d. per hour. Owing, it is believed, to the wages actually being paid to the men being well in excess ot the award rate, plus the several bonuses granted by the Court, the workers' union did not apply ter any bonuses, thus leaving the award rate of wages as above. But had the union applied to the Court for the increases, the roost they would be entitled to receive would be the basic wage of 2« per hour and bonuses, 3Jd., as fixed by the Court in its Gisborne pronouncement of April last That rate, 2s3?d. per hour, is the award .ate fixed by the Auckland and a number of ether awards. It will thus be seen that local employers hove been paying well m excess of aw aid rB “(h) Owing to the shortage ot carpenters and to the large volume of building work that master builders were having pressed upon them, it was found that the men were taking advaptage of the- position bv demanding increasingly lughe rates of pay, and. in addition that some builders, who were not members of the Master Builders’ Union, and even some who were, were prepared to pay abnormal,. hteh rates of wages m order to carry on their jobs. Under these circumstances the master builders experienced great unrest amongst, their hands, nnd found they were willing to rnove fr >m one job to another when tempted by more I)tt “It was therefore decided by the master builders, in order to establish some stability, that members should recognise a maximum wage of 2s. 9d per hour for journeymen, and the great majority of ’the Master Builders’ Union have earned out that understanding. fixing of the 2s. fid. as a maximum ra.e wa« recently confirmed by a postal ballot 0 members, a large majority favouring the 2S “AVhiIe readily admitting that some mon are being paid 3s. or £Yeten<L 2s. fid. is what may be railed the sta.nd ard wage, and it is misleading to the public and not putting the position e rroctly to. say that the master builders have decided to reduce wages to -s. 9d. Air' Mainland, president of the association, and author of the statement above, added that the members of h s organisation were unanimous in their decision that 2s. 9d. should be the maximum rate of pay for carpenters and joiners on both citj and suburban work. This limit appbed only to the wages of the rank- and file of the workers. The foremen and leading hands were not affected by it. All employers who had been paying more than ~ JOhad individually given then- emplojecn notice that the rate of pay would now lie 2s. fid. Union Secretary’s Comment.

After reading what had been said on behalf of the employers. Air .1 ng.e .on (•secretary of the Carpenters’ Union) observed that the award rate of wages, to which reference had been made, vas merelv the minimum rate—the amount to be paid to the least skilbd workers in the trade. He believed that U tnc employers undertook to pay 2s. 9:1. per hour to every man in the union, all the menibei-s would be willing to accept tljat l . n ( :E .—even those who had been in receio.. of more. He was not prepared to make a statement off-hand for publication.