FARM WORKERS' WAGES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 62, 31 March 1937, Page 3

FARM WORKERS' WAGES

-Presa Association.)

No Restriction on Hours AGREEMENT REACHED

(Bv Telegraph-

| CHEISTCHUKCH, Last Night, ; An agreement has been reached be-'. tween representatives of the Kew Zea-, land Workers' Union and the Kew Zea-i land Sheep-owners' Federation and the. Kew Zealand Farmers' Union governingi the rates of pay and generai conditions for farm. and station workers other than those already covered by industria! agreements such as dairy farm workers, shearers and musterers. A statement .that the agreement is tentative pending ratification by Order-in-Council, was made by the office of the Minister of Labour (Hon. H. T. Armstrong) to-day. With the publication ox the Order-in-Council the agreement would become law. The. agreement, it is stated, provides for a minimum rate for permanent employees of £2 2s 6d weekly and found with the addition of 17s 6d. weekly where board and lodging are not provided. The wage for casual farm laboiirers by the hour is set down at ls 8d hourly and found and for harvesting work 2s hpurly and found. For casual farm labourers engaged by the day the rate is 13s 4d daily and found or 16s if not found. Ko restriction is to be placed on the number of hours to be wdrked and provision is made for eigkteen paid holidays annually including statutory holi* days. . , Youths' wages are to be ls hourly or Ss daily and found or ls 3d hourly and 10s daily if not found. The agreen+ent contains a clause dcal* ing ' with the employment of under-rate workers. Employers will not be empowered to charge rent for cottages occupied by their employees. An important provision sets out that there will be no classificatjon of labour on a farm in any way.