INCREASED WAGES

Evening Star, Issue 24289, 2 September 1942, Page 4

INCREASED WAGES

SHOP ASSISTANTS' NEW AWARD Increases in wages of 7s 6d a week for men and Ids for women, making the maximum rates £5 10s and £3 7s 6d respectively, are granted in the New Zealand Retail Shop Assistants’ award just issued by the Court of Arbitration. The wages of juniors have been increased by amounts varying from Is to 7s 6d. The new award comes into force on September 7 and will remain in operation for two years. In a memorandum to the award Mr Justice Tyndall said the wages had been increased in further recognition of the fact that these workers were called upon to work a 44-hour week, spread over five and a-half days. His Honour added : “In fixing the new wage scales the court has taken into consideration the rates recently agreed upon for shop assistants between the employers and the workers in the northern industrial district. At the same time, some weight has been given to the fact that drastic changes have occurred in the industry since the northern agreement was arrived at. The rates prescribed in this award are subject to the court’s two general orders, whereas the rates set out in the northern district award are subject to the first general order only. Mr W. Cecil Prime (employers’ representative) is not in full agreement with all the rates of wages fixed, but records no formal dissent.” In a dissenting opinion, Mr A. L. Monteith (employees' representative) states, inter alia: “The junior rates (under 21 years) are loss by Is to 10s per week than the rates now in operation in the northern industrial district. These junior rates, both male and female, are on .a par with the rates awarded in factory awards, but no allowance has been made for the 44-hour week which these workers have to work, as against the 40-hour week in factories. In addition, those juniors get two days’ annual holiday less than that agreed to in the northern industrial district. The wages for all workers in the northern award, apart from flic cost-of-living bonus, are greater than those awarded here, and the majority of the rates do not make up for the extra hours worked. Furthermore, the junior male and female rates are less than those awarded by this court in the Auckland (25mile radius) fruit and vegetable shop assistants’ award just a few weeks ago, and the junior male rates are less than those awarded to junior male grocers’ assistants in an award made by this court on December 24, 1941. I cannot see any consistency in these three sets of junior rates, based on the duties they perform. “ This industry can well afford to pay the rales in operation in the northern industrial district, and the court, when making that award, did so with the full agreement of both parties. The only change that has been noticeable since the making of the last award has been in the prosperity of the employers; and, even though some were present in court during the hearing of the dispute, none elected to give evidence. In the above circumstances, the term of the award, two years—which moans for two years these rates will be less than those paid in another district is as unfair as the rates awarded.” The new award does not apply to the northern industrial district.