WAGE REDUCTIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 48

WAGE REDUCTIONS

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL VOTING ON PARTY LINES. CHRISTCHURCH, June 1. The Christchurch City Council decided this evening to restore the 10 per cent, reduction in the wages and salaries of its employees, and to return to the rate of 15s 4d a day for unemployment relief works. The voting was on party lines, the Labour majority on the council by nine votes to eight deciding the issue. In reply to a question the Mayor said that the effect of the motion would be that the reduction made in the salaries and wages of the permanent employees would-be restored retrospectively. REDUCTION NOT TO BE IMPOSED. CHRISTCHURCH, June 2. In addition to restoring the cut imposed on the wages of its employees not governed bj’ awards, the Christchurch City Council will not impose the 10 per ceut. reduction indicated by the Arbitration Court on employees who are governed by awards. The court’s ruling was merely permissive, said Mr J. M’Combs, chairman of the Finance Committee, to-day. The back pay to the first class of workers amounts to £5OO. APPLICATIONS FOR EXEMPTION INSTRUCTIONS BY LABOUR COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, June 5. The general order made by the Court of Arbitration was considered by the Wellington Trades and Labour Council last night. It instructed all its affiliations to make application for exemption from the order. This instruction applies to some 30 unions. The New Zealand Trades and Labour Councils’ Federation has advised all unions in New Zealand as to the procedure to be adopted when exemption is required. The court’s order is to be considered by the Alliance of Labour next week. In the course of its motion last night the Wellington Trades Council considered that the court’s judgment was more an instruction from the Government than consideration of the arguments put forward by the workers’ representatives, and, “ in recognition of this obvious political manipulation of the court,” calls on all unionists and wage earners to continue the fight, by their own political organisation, for the Labour Party, in an effort to make it become the Government after the next general election.