WAGE CUTS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1931, Page 5

WAGE CUTS

CANADIAN RAILWAY MEN. (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) MONTREAL, December 22. Following on a conference of the Railway Union heads and railway officials, -it is announced that- the Railwaymen’s Brotherhoods wifi not accept. the ten per cent, wages cut that has been imposed by the Canadian Railway Companies upon the running trades. ' J Further conversations have been adjourned until the middle of January. SUGAR COY. EMPLOYEES. CUT WILL NOT OPERATE. MELBOURNE, December 23. The various Metal Trade Unions, as well as the Carters’ and Drivers’ Union, made applications to the Full ■Court of tile Adbitration Court for (the revocation, so far as the Colonial Sugar Refining Company is concerned, of the order reducing the wages of member’s by .10 per cent. : Chief Judge Dethridge ,-and Judge ‘Drake Brockman, in a joint judgment, said that one of the grounds of the application was that the sugar agreement existing between the Company and the Commonwealth and Queensland Governments, had been renewed without modification.

It Was urged that the Company continued to make profits and had- distributed its customary high dividends at 121 per Gent. upon its paid-up capital. The Court had anticipated a falling off in profits of the Company, -and a probable '.reduction of fits dividends, but there had been no reduction. The two Judges were of the opinion. (that 'the necessity for a 10 pel cent, reduction in wages was by no means at an end, and the n&cessity may very soon become apparent to State wage tribunals and others. When it -appeared that ad, and not merely a minority, of the campanies employees were to be called on to share .the sacrifice, steps might be taken for renewed operations .of the -Order of the Court. Meantime, there would be an order that the reductions should- not apply to this Company. The orders were rescinded.