QUESTION OF AWARD WAGES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 192, 10 May 1940, Page 11

QUESTION OF AWARD WAGES

Move For General Rise FURTHER CRITICISM BY MR. BEGG (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, May 9. “The Dune'din Manufacturers’ Association is quite right in correcting my statement that the Employers’ Federation did not join in the recommendation to the Government to give authority to the Court of Arbitration to amend the wages provisions of all awards at intervals of not less than 'six months,” said Mr. James Begg iu a statement today. “I hasten to admit my mistake,' added Mr. Begg. “In the report that came under my notice only the Fedetation of Labour and the Manufacturers’ Association were mentioned. “I don’t know whether the executive of the Employers’ Federation acted on its own initiative or not, but several organizations with which I am connected are members of the federation, and I have never heard that they were consulted. Thousands of employers are not in agreement with the federation on this matter.

“The Federation of Labour approached the Court of Arbitration with a view to getting a general order for an increase in wages to compensate for increased cost of living, and, whatever may 'be said to the contrary, the Manufacturers’ Association and the Employers’ Federation have, by their recommendation, facilitated this being done. If the recommendation is adopted, the Government will be relieved of a great deal of responsibility and the onus of deciding whether there is to be a general rise in wages will be left to the Court of Arbitration. “As our war effort is largely bound up with questions of wages and costs, the Government should assume full responsibility in these matters. “The gross injustice of raising wages to compensate for increased cost of living, while leaving thousands of the poorer section of the people, those who live on small private incomes, people on superannuation, pensioners, sustenance men and others, not only without any increase in their incomes to meet increased costs, but also with an additional burden in providing their share of the increased wages needs no elaboration.”

COST OF LIVING View Of Manufacturers Statements made by Mr. James Begg in Dunedin, and by the secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, Mr. W. E. Anderson, were considered ata meeting of the council of the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association on Wednesday night, when the question of increases in wages because of the increase in the cost of living was discussed. It is reported that members unanimously condemned' Mr. Begg’s statement, and objection was taken also to the action of the Otago provincial council of the Farmers’ Union in passing a resolution criticizing the Manufacturers’ Federation without first being sure of the facts. Attention was directed by members to the fact that the bonus recently granted to the Auckland tramway employees had no bearing on the recent action of the Manufacturers’ Federation. The federation had acted in full co-operation with the Employers’ Federation and the Federation of Labour on a forAiula by which any such application could be equitably dealt with. The Auckland tramwaymen’s application, it was stated, was bast'd on a specific clause in the award practically providing for the automatic adjustment of wages if the cost of living rose by more than 5 per cent. The statement issued by Mr. W. E. Anderson on Wednesday on this subject was confirmed as a correct outline of the position.