Farm Wages Will Rise

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 80, 21 April 1937, Page 6

Farm Wages Will Rise

Tel«srr»ph— Preg« Association.)

hon. f. waite's view Present Level for Three Months HOORS NOT PRESCRIBED

(By

DUNEDIN, Last Night. A statement that an increase in tbe guaranteed price for dairy produce, with a consequent increase in the wages of farm workcrs, would take place in about three months' time was made by the Hon. F. Waite, M.L.C., at a meeting of the Otago Provincial Council of the Farmers' Union. The new rate will probably operate from ihe beginning of the next export season, Mr. Waite said, and as a con•equence the faTin workers ' wage would be aclvanced fo £2 5/- a week with keep from the present figure of £2 2/6. Referring to the negotiating of a »ew agreement for farm workers other than those on dairy farms, Mr. Waite said that the Minister had power by regulation to exfcend the provisions of the Agrieultnral Workers5 Act passed. last session to apply to farms other than dairy farms, and it- had been made perfectly plain that if an agreement commensurate with that Act wero not arrived at then.an award of the 'Arbitration Court, would be made. Representativea of the ' New Zealand Workers ' Union, at • the discussiohs, neked for the elassification of all farm labour, Mr. Waite added. aWe would not agree to that, nor- would we agree 4o a elause provi'ding for prefererice to ■nioniste which, in reality, was compulsory unionism. In the fruit farm worken ' agreement there is a stipula-. tion that when a man has beeh working for four weeks he automatically become* a member of the union and the employer has to deduct union fees from his wages and forward them to union headquatrers. We objected to that. ' The new agreement was on all fours with the Agricultural Workers' Act, Mr. Waite continued. The hours of labour wer& not pr'escribed, 18 days5" annual holiday was to be given at a time that suited the employer and the miuimum wage was ihsed at £2 2/6, with keep, compared with the absolute minimum of £2 18/6 with keep that eould have been secured under an award of the Arbitration Court. This rata of £2 2/6, plus 17/6 a week for keep, would come into operation in May, and would be revxsed on July 31, from which date the rate of wages would be £2 5/- a week for a period of 12 months. Taking it, all round, it was not so bad, as there was freedom of hours and no compulsory unionism. "In the event of there being a faljl in the price of wool next year, for in-; stance, we have ' the " right to ask for * Teduction of these wages, " said Mr. Waite. " Wages paid under the Agricultural Workers' Act are based on the" guaranteed price, and if ' that goes up the wages of daify-farm workers have to go up," Mr. Waite added, "and consequently there will be a rise in the wages of workers on dairy-i'arms. It is probable that that will also apply to workers on other types of farms. For the next three months wages will be %t the present level, and when the guaranteed price ,goes up; wages will follow."