WORK AND WAGES

Grey River Argus, 15 September 1937, Page 3

WORK AND WAGES

Legal Technicality OVER COURT’S WAGES DECLARATION. [Per Press Association]. AUCKIAND, September 13. The resubmission of a large number of Auckland industrial disputes to Concilation Councils after the Arbitration Court’s pronouncement on the standard rates of wages, is temporarily held up by a legal technicality which the trade unions concerned are trying to remove. At present about 50 Auckland disputes stand referred to the Court, and although there is a reasonable prospect of settling some 20 of them now that the Court’s views on wages are known, it has been discovered that the Industrial Concilation and Arbitration Act makes no provision for the state of affairs that has arisen. The act has apparently never contemplated that once a concilation council has made its formal recommendation to the Court there will be any occasion to refer the dispute back for further negotiations between the parties. It is possible that this procedure is not barred by the act, but there is no authority for it or. forpaying the usual fees to the assessors at the resumed sittings.

A meeting of agents concerned in a number of the disputes was held today, and considered a report from the secretary of the Auckland District Council of the Federation of Labour (Mr H. Campbell), regarding the disputes on the tentative list of fixtures drawn up by the Concilation Commissioner, Mr R. E. Price Mr Campbell stated that the commissioner had listed only those disputes in which the principal outstanding question was wages and in which there was now a reasonable prospect of complete settlement. The agents present agreed that an endeavour should be made to to resume conciliation in these cases. It was further decided to communicate with the Acting-Minister for Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) and to ask that authority be given to reconvene a conciliation council, with the payment of assessors, fees. To avoid delay in dealing with the accumulation of disputes, it was resolved to ask the Minister to appoint additional conciliation commissioners.

HAIRDRESSERS’ WAGES. WELLINGTON, September 13. An increase in the charge for cutting hair was suggested in Conciliation Council to-day as one means by which the hairdressers’ demands for higher wages might be met. The employers’ advocate, however, considered that the only solution of the difficulties confronting what was described as a Cinderella industry, lay in the compulsory registration and lisensing of hairdressers. Until this was introduced, he contended, employers would be unable to go as far as they would like in conceding wage increases. The dispute concerns the whole Wellington industrial district. An agreement on hours and other questions was reached on September S. Consideration of the wages clauses was deferred to to-day to enable both parties to find the effect of the Court’s pronouncement on a standard wage. Both sides offered concessions without prejudice, but were unable to agree. The question was referred to the Arbitration Court.