DAY WAGES V. PIECE WORK.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9392, 12 March 1909, Page 6

DAY WAGES V. PIECE WORK.

Regarding the trouble at Broken River, where it is reported that about 30 co-operative workers have left the works, refusing to accept the new system of payment at Is Sd a truck instead of 9s a day, an interesting statement was made to a Dominion representative by Mr H. J. H. Blow, Under-Secretary for Public Works. It appears that the men were originally being paid by results, according to a varying scale, and when some specially heavy work was met with in a certain cutting.sthe rate of pay was raised to the highest point of the scale. The men at work upon the cutting still 'expressed dissatisfaction at the rate per yard they were receiving, and the Superintending Engineer decided, pending an invetsigation, to pay them 9s a day instead of by results. This is considered a high wage for such work, and the men at once displayed their gratitude by a greatly diminished output which made their services, on the engineer’s calculation, worth about 5s a day to the Department. The engineer accordingly told them that he would not be acting honestly by the Department to continue paying them 9s, and put them back on piece . work at the higher scale. Other men, whom he employed at this scale on the same cutting, were able to earns. 10s a day by it, but apparently some are not yet satisfied, and have suspended work.