STANDARD RATES OF WAGES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 137, 26 June 1937, Page 13

STANDARD RATES OF WAGES

-Press Association.) ,

Early Pronouncement By Arbitration Court CLASSIFIED L AB0UR

(By Tfclegraph-

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. Reverting to the principle which operated before 1931, the Arbitration Court will take an early opportunity of making a pronouncement on .the standard rates of wages for skilled, semiskilled and unskilled labouir. The announcement was made by Mr. Justice O'Regan at the end of the Court hearing in Christchurch to-day. Anomalies which appeared during the hearing were discussed by Mr, D. L MacDonald, secretary- of the Canterbury Employers ' Association, at his Honour 's suggestion. • Hourly rates of pay were without any proper basis, it was stated, in industries where the restoration o'f the 1931 wage level ' had followed the introduction of the 40-hour week, because of the varying weekly hours which had been worked prcvioua- ' 'The old Court 's standard has been completely altered and disturbed in a way" completely unfair. to some classes •of ' wo^ker's,,, said -Mr.* MacDonald. "To-day we find semi-akilled workers getting more than skilled workers. I consider that, as soon as the Arbitra"tion Court can get back to a basis of , skill, instead of a basis'of some suppositious case or anomalies caused , bylegislation, so soon will .wet. get* more settlement in Conciliation Council." '/'The Court has had in mind for some tinie the ' difficulties confronting the parties to disputes, owing to ^varying rates of wages which have come into operation," stated his 'Honour. "For this reasdn, and because of the desirability of adopting a general principle, such as was in; operation before 1931, the Court proposes to1 take an- early opportunity. t»f making a pronouncement on.;the question. ■ •, "It does not appear ' pxacticable . to ' deal vTjith the matter . at -the ; " p^eseut'i stage, as no. doubt the parties concerned will desire an opportunity bf'plk.cihg their. vieiys before 'the Couri Accordingly the Court proposes early in the next sitting in Auckland to- select what appear to be representatiye disputes and to give the parties an opportunity "of deali'ng with. such . cases, with a vievr to epabling the CoUrt to make a pronounceinen.t in settling such disputes on the general question of standard rates of wages for various classes of labouT— .skilled, senii-skillcd and unskilled."