LOWER WAGES.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 May 1922, Page 5

LOWER WAGES.

POSITION OF FREEZING WORKS. DIFFICULTY OF ADJUSTMENT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, May 15In connection with the bonus cut, the secretary of the Canterbury Freezing Workers’ Union has received a letter Island freezing companies stating that from the acting-secretary of the South no reduction of wages, following the Court’s pronouncement, will be made until further notice, as at present there is some ambiguity as to the interpretation of the court’s pronouncement. Auckland, Last Night. Regarding the Christchurch telegram the Registrar of the Arbitration Court stated the Court knew of no ambiguity in the general order, but thought the message might refer to some difficulty in deducting the per hour reduction from the existing percentage increases. If this is the case it is a matter peculiar to the freezing workers’ awards, and does not create any difficulty in the case of other awards. It is possible, he said, there had been some misreading of the terms of the general order. POSITION OF APPRENTICES. Wellington, May 15. In the Arbitration Court, Mr. Lightfoot, representing the Labor Department, drew attention to the position of apprentices. The lowest weekly wage was 15s, and in some cases no bonus had been given: in the majority of cases only one shilling had been allowed. His Honour said the 'court had power to review the bonus and basic wage. Supposing the court said .hi all probability it considered 14s 6d as the new standard rate, and it could be shown that apprentices were receiving only 1-os without the bonus, that would make a ground for an application for a reduction of sixpence instead of Is 6d. He was afraid applications would have to be made to vary the order of reference, for the terms differed so much the court could noh make a general order. Mr. Lightfoot thought his Honour s would meet the case.