LABOUR CONDITIONS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 March 1939, Page 8

LABOUR CONDITIONS

ATTRACTIVE AWARDS. MASTERTON POSSIBILITIES. Considerable interest has been aroused in Masterion since the publication yesterday of the news that the district has potentialities from an industrial point of view. A number of retailers who were interviewed by the "TimesAge” today consider that the labour position is not a. difficult one. The manager of one store reported that an advertisement a few weeks ago for one assistant drew 32 replies. Another retailer has a waiting list of girls desirous of . securing employment. While these girls Were interested in retail store work, it was considered that light and congenial factory employment would really be attractive.

For detailed information concerning factory employment, Mr E. G. Sherrock, district inspector of the Labour Department, was interviewed. Mr Sherrock explained how modern factory conditions were governed by awards and by the Factories Act. All awards had necessarily to comply with the Factories Act although as a general rule wages were higher than .the minimum laid down by the parent Act. Of course, all factories, practically worked on a 40-hour week. The following table indicates the rate of pay Kinder a typical industrial award and under the shop assistants award, both in this case referring to female labour only:—

Another industry taken provided for payment particularly according to years of service, starting at 17s weekly will, £ I 17s to girls at the end of their sixth six months service and £2 5s at the end of their eighth six months service. In every case the factory hours were 40 per week while the shop hours wore 44 per week. To follow up the original enquiry yesterday from a Wellington advertiser. Mr J. D. Baybutt, advertising manager of the “Times- Age” will visit Wellington tomorrow. He will investigate as fully as possible the position regarding the location of new industries in the Wairarapa and report next week to a meeting of business executives interested in furthering the progress of me town and district.

Age. Industry. Shop. Per week. Per week. £ s d £ s d 1C—17yrs ..100 17 0 10— jflyrs ... 1 5 0 1 3 0 Under 21 yrs . ... 1 10 0 1 6 0