MINING INDUSTRY
V THE SOUTHERN AWARD MADE REDUCTION IN WAGES / An award in connection with the Otago and Southland coal mines haa been made by the Arbitration Court. The minimum wage has been fixed at 183. per shift, whioh is Is. 2d. below the rate provided in the national agreement which expired last February. There are five awards, and they deal with the mines at Shag Point. Waronui, Taratu, Nightcaps. Wairio, Wairaki, Kaitangata, and Green Island. The Court stipulates that the adoption of a “go-slow" policy in any mine will be a breach of the award, and workers participating in such a policy are liable to dismissal without notice in addition to any other penalties to which they may be liable. The varying conditions at the different mines are covered by special provisions, but the hours'of work for underground workers have been fixed at eight from bank to bank, and for surface workers eight hours, exclusive of pieal time. Each award contains a clause giving preference of employment to unionists. For’- truckers, rope attendants, horse-drivers, pit bottomere, and winchmen the following wages have been awarded: —14 to 15 years of age, 6s. sd. per day; 15 to 16, Bs.; 16 to 17, 9s. 7d.; 17 to 18, Ils. 2d.; 18 to 19, 12s. lOd.; 19 to 20, Ita. 5d.; over 20, 16s. lOd. The Court states in a memorandum that it has endeavoured to adhere to the spirit of the general conditions of the national agreement of 1920, in so far as they are applicable to the Otago, and Southland district. Rates of pay have been fixed, as nearly as possible, on the basis of the 1914 rates, plus 50 per cent, to piece workers, and 60 per cent, to time workers. This, states the memorandum, was the intention of the national agreement, though disputes arose, subsequently as to the proper rates payable in respect of certain mines where alterations had been made since 1914. The increases provided for in the national agreement appeared to have been based on the food prices current in January, 1920, when the increase over the prices of July, 1914, was 57.76 per cent. The adoption of the food statistics as a base was reasonable, as miners are not affected to the same extent as other people by fluctuations in rents and coal prices. The Court hag provided for alterations in rates after April, 1922, based! on the corresponding statistics. If, for example, in March, 1922, the increase over 1914 food prices ia 47.76 per cent., as against 57.76 per cent, in January, 1920, the following calculation will have to be made. The increases at present being paid over the standard rates aro represented by 50-15Oths of the present piecework rates, and 60-160ths of tho present time rates. Thus a present piecework rate of 7s. 6d. per yard' is made up of ss. standard rate, and 2s. 6d. increase. The 2s. 6d. will be replaced by an amount bearing to it the ratio of 47.76 to 57.76, that is, 2s. OJd., and the new rate will bo 7s. OJd. Similarly, a present time rate of 16s. is made up of 10s. standard rate and 6s. increase. The 6s. will bo replaced by an amount bearing to it the ratio of 47.76 to 57.76, that is, 4s. 11.53 d., which, taken at the nearest penny, is 55., and the new rate will be 15s. In order to avoid confusion, the Court has reserved the power to make orders each eix months fixing the rates of increase or decrease in accordance with the principles stated. VIEWS OF FEDERATION SECRETARY. Commenting, on the awards, Mr. P. O’Rourke, secretary of the New Zealand Miners’ Federation, said:— 1 “I cannot see the use of the' Government keeping an Institution like the Arbitration Court for the purpose of hearing evidence and incurring a tremendous amount of expense. It does not seem to be warranted if they are going to carry on tfkS"tliAt. All that seems to be necessary is_for the owners to maTfe their offers and obtain a few policemen with a baton to enforce them. The Court has not considered the miners’ unions whatever in making the awards. It has merely accepted Mr. Bishop's statement and added a few legal frills. The Court has reduced the wages to the 1914 basis, and taken away all the conditions that the Southland men have won in the last six years. They have reduced the minimum wage from 19s. 2d. per shift to 18s.: and so far ns truckers’ rates are concerned, it is hard to conjecture what the outcome will be. According to the wage scale for truckers, a worker will have to be 21 before he can earn the highest rate. 16s. lOd. The present ruling rate for truckers is 16s. Ifld. Tn a coal mine lads of 16 onwards make the best truckers you can get, ibecause they are voung and active, end can stand the' travelling, especially if they are lads reared about the mines. They will now have to be 20 years of age before they can earn the highest rate, and it will be almost impossible for the youths to earn 16s. 10d., because no manager will keep a trucker until he is 20 years of age." The award will operate from December 1 1921 until November 20, 1922. A sitting of the Arbitration Court is to be held at Bcefton on Wednesday to honr the West Coast mining dispute. It is likelv that if the West Coast award provides for a reduction in wages a meeting of the executive of the, Miners Federation will be held to consider the situation.
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Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 54, 26 November 1921, Page 13
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944MINING INDUSTRY Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 54, 26 November 1921, Page 13
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