Salient. Official Newspaper of Victoria University of Wellington Students Association. Vol 40 No. 26. October 3 1977

Vacation pay rate

Vacation pay rate

Dear Sir,

As a student who works in the Summer vacation for money to see me through the 'varsity year, I have a serious complaint to make regarding the office at varsity that deals with holiday employment.

My employer rang this office last vacation, offered a job for a student and asked the office what the going hourly rate of pay was for students jobs for X'mas 1976. He was quoted the unrealistic rate of $2.20 per hr. and I had to put up with this low rate due to the general shortage of jobs. For it, I had to travel 15 miles from Wellington every day. You can guess how expensive that was.

Seeing that I was paid in similar jobs at the rate of $2 per hr. in 1974 and $2.25 per hr. in 1975, I would like to know where the office got its figure for $2.20 per hr. for 1976.

Please be a bit more careful as it's the old student who suffers. I would also like an indication of the rate this year—$2.80—$3 per hr.?

Yours,

"Ripped off".