CLERICAL WAGES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 10, 27 January 1937, Page 5

CLERICAL WAGES

Court on Conservative Side, Union Claims CONCILIATION HEARING PALMERSTON N., Last Night. The Court of Arbitration had been on the conservative rather than on the ' progressive side in declaring its awards, according to cases he cited, said Mr W. N. Pharazyn, secretary of the Wellington Olerieal Workers' Union, in proeeedings before the conciliation commissioner at Palmerston North to-day. • The Court had lagged behind the intentions of the Government to raise the living standards of all workers. For this reason, and bearing in mind the continued increase in industrial prosperity, his union stood to gain by a second appeal to the Court. Nevertheless the union realised that such appeala took up much time, and were upsetting to employers ' business, and it was x essential that employers should know as soon as possible just what their obligations were toward their employees under ihe new industrial laws. ' The conciliation commissioner, Mr M. J. Readon, presided, Assessors were: — Employers, Messrs A. G. Weekes and D. S. Dustin (Wanganui), P. B. Desmond (Feilding), R. H. Billens (Palmerston North) ; employees, Miss M. Petersen (Palmerston North), Messrs W. A. Stewart (Masterton), R. Hoggard (Wellington). Mr W. N. Pharazyn (Wellington) was employees' advocate, and Mr , S. I. McKenzie (Palmerston North) employers' advocate. Mr Pharazyn submitted in place of the union 's original claims for the workers in the Wellington industrial district the general award already pronounced by the Court of Arbitration for Wellington city. The union was prepared to come to a complete agreement on this basis forthwith. WELLINGTON CITY AWARD. The Wellington City award was the first general award for clerical workers ever secured in New Zealand, said Mr Pharazyn. While it was recognised that it gave a much needed increase in the wages of a majority of clerks, it was by -no means satisfactory. Many points required modification in favour of employees, partieularly the wages for women. The award was issued at a time when the Court of Arbitration was dealing with a greater number of industrial disputes than ever before in its whole history. It was therefore not with the object of criticising the Court that it was pointed, out that the award had many defects. It was recognised- that there was extreme difficulty in making an award to cover all types of clerical ^ork. The wages and eonditions granted were not such as would accord with the weight of evidence submitted. For example, a vast majority of office workers had been given an annual holiday of a fortnight for years, whereas the award granted seven days. Were the Court to recousider the clerks' case the union had no doubt it would secure better eonditions all round. The union was prepared to make. a complete agreement on the basis of the Wellington City award. The alternative was long conciliation proeeedings, in wjiich case union assessors would go ' exhaustively into points in the existing award such as inadequate wages to senior women, who might at present be placed over men earning a great deal more. An endeavour would also be made to obtain much more rigid hours aud overtime clauses since, in this respect, employers at» present were hardly restricted at all. If the employers co-operated in giving effect to the Government 's new industrial legislation the union would do its level best to meet the many special difficulties which it knew must arise. The acceptanee of the city general award would be a short cut to settlement, said the commissioner. Except by mutual agreement there would be no modification of it if there were an application to the court. REFERRED TO COURT. The inclusion of stock and station agents in the seope of the award was, on the commissioner 's suggestion, ref erred to the Arbitration Court. It was stated that these employees were covered by a Tegistered agreement that might be turned into an award. It was held by the Clerical Union that the agreement was a bogus one, said Mr Pharazyn. Registration as an award of a- previous agreement was suc'cessfully contested. Similar application in regard to the stock and station agents' employees' agreement was being opposed shortly. Various shipping firms applied for exemption. Those whose business was solely shipping were struek out as they were already covered by an agreement. Borderline cases of firms handling other business were referred to the Court. Firms with a meat or slaughtering licence were removed from the list as they were allready covered by an award.. On the application of the Local Bodies Workers' Union (Mr G. M. Renner), borough eouneils, harbour boards, towu boards aud so on wero struek out. Borough couucils are already covered, while steps are being taken to cover the other bodies. The Clerical Workers' Union reserved the right to cite those bodies other than boroughs if no agreement were come to in their case. Following consideration during the luncheon adjournment, the employers announced that they were unable to accept the Wellington City award. An arrangement was reached in regard to hours and overtime, but other eonditions were held over until to-morrow.