STANDARD WAGE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 151, 22 March 1939, Page 13

STANDARD WAGE

“Nothing To Justify Increase” EMPLOYERS’ CLAIM Stability Of Conditions Felt Overdue "In the light of all the presentday circumstances of trade and industry, there is nothing to justify the Court in increasing wages. On the contrary, it is submitted that the Court might consider the advisability of reducing costs rather than be a party to increasing them,” said Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, advocate for the employers, at the hearing by the Court of Arbitration yesterday of the builders and general labourers’ dispute.

Mr. Mountjoy urged that the Court should not alter its standard rate pronouncement of 1937 for skilled.,semiskilled and unskilled workers. Alterations to the hours, wages, and many other conditions were sought by workers’ unions. The employers held that the time for making such radical changes in awards had passed, and that stability of conditions in the awards of the building industry was long overdue.

“The Moon the Limit.”

“It has been said on many occasions that the sky is the limit, but it would appear that unless some check is made the limit will become the moon.”

The building 'industry, from the point of view of finance, was the most hazardous of all callings, said Mr. Mountjoy, who referred to the effect of fluctuations in costs and the elements on tendering. The employers, therefore, asked the Court to bring about stabilization of industries by putting an end to further wage increases.

Tn tendering for work builders could only make the costs in accordance with the conditions and costs ruling at the time of tendering, said Mr. Mountjoy. If awards were made each year with varying conditions, including wages, tlie builder would, at the hand of the Court, be stripped of some of the money he had allowed to cover materials and so on, because of increased costs unaccounted for when the tender was submitted.

Referring to the contention of Mr. P. M. Butler, advocate for the workers, that builders and general labourers were entitled to increased rates, for which the standard rate for unskilled workers (2/4 an hour) should be a guide and not a hard- and fast rule, Mr. Mountjoy contended that to acquiesce would be to set aside the principle established- by the Court under Mr. Justice Stringer, and which hadi been followed by Mr. Justice Frazer, Mr. Justice Page, and Mr. Justice O’Regan. No special circumstances had 1 been established by the union in asking for a departure.

Adverse Figures.

In opposing the workers’ claims for a higher rate of pay for unskilled workers, Mr. Mountjoy submitted that the Dominion’s position was not as sound or stable today as it was when the Court of Arbitration heard the argument and evidence on the standard wage pronouncement of September 7, 1937. The Government Statisticians’ figures regarding Post Oflice Savings Bank withdrawals and deposits were quoted by Mr. Mountjoy. January was the fifth month in succession in which withdrawals exceeded 1 deposits. Tn the space of a year an excess of £3,900,000 in deposits had given way to an excess of £3.000,000 in withdrawals. There had been a decrease in export values of £1,281,648 for January, the main items being butter, frozen lamb and wool. Though the January exports of wool exceeded the total for the corresponding month of 1938 by 6646 bales, the recorded value was less by £140,366. Commodity imports for the same month showed a decrease of £861,133. The reduction in the quota of mutton and lamb exported to Britain amounted to about 5000 tons.

“These figures cannot, be ignored because they show that New Zealand’s position in relation to her trading is not as good as It was when the Court made its pronouncement on the standard wage on September 7, 1937,” said Mr. Mountjoy.