BONUSES TO END.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1923, Page 4

BONUSES TO END.

I KXI’I R E IX Did hi AIR Ll,'. j WKLLIXGT'O.s. July --’7. ' As recently announced in the House ■ I. tiie .Minister of Labour (Air Ander- ! s-m), the Government has decided not | in continue the cut of living leglisiuj tion provided by section :) of the Industrial Conciliation ami Arbitration Act. which will expire on December hist. 1923. Air Anderson stated to-day that so till no requests had been received for a continuation of the legislation. He understood that there was a general feeling among employers and workers that tiie determination of the rates ol wages should lie left entirely to the Court of Arbitration. In a number of recent, eases tiie parties bad agreed that Lhe rates of wages fixed by their awards should not be subject to variation during the terms of the awards. The tendency was to make short-dated awards, and very few awards ran for the full three years provided by the Act. The Court was thus aide to adjust wages where necessary at reasonj ably short intervals when making new I awards. The Minister said that I the effect of sub-section 11. section 9. | of the Act was only to provide that the rates of wages naval.!e on Di■:■ * 1 i'. ht'r 31st. 1923. .should be stabilised during the remainder of the term of the. currency of an award. Even if the legislation were continued the Court would not bo in a position to review rates of wages until AI a y Ist, 1924. by which time most of tiie awards and industrial ageements now in tone would have expired. It had now been announced that the legislation would not be continued. The Minister said that parties to disputes coming before the Court would probably agree to short-term awards, or would ask the Court to make special provision for adjustment where neeessarv.