SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 33, 18 December 1945, Page 5

SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL

DIFFICULTY OF INTERPRETATION . QUESTION OF SATURDAY WORK We have had it pointed out to us that in our report of the Retailers' meeting last. Friday we quoted Mr C. Good as saying that according to legislation there would be a compulsory full holiday on Saturday after June 30 15M(>. The Shops & Offices Amendment AcL states there shall be one full holiday during the week (apart from Sunday) and that this will be fixed by the Arbitration Court and that is what Mr Good said, in reality it is an open secret that in compiling the Act the Government definitely has the universal Saturday holiday in mind and as many speakers at the meeting stated—it is inevitable. It is permissable therefore to assume that although the Act does not stipulate Saturday that the day as a general holiday is a foregone conclus-j ion and it was upon that assump-j tion we based ouv statement. j In Whakatane there is still wide.spread speculation as to the exact! interpretation of the Act with regard to the working of stall's on Saturday morning. To obtain a delinite ruling on the position the Secretary of the Retailers Association has written the Auckland Labour De<partment for a statement. This will be published on arrival. Provision is made for the Court of Arbitration to authorise the employment of assistants in any of shop for four hours' overtime, at time and a half rates and until applications can be heard by the court there is a blanket permission for all shop assistants to be employed up to 44 hours (with four at overtime rates) but this general provision expires on June 30 } 1916. MaclVi inery is provided for a five-day week but this clause will not take effect unless or until such time as the various awards are amended by the court. If any shop assistant has completed 40 hours by a Friday night and is required to work on a Saturday morning the assistant must be paid overtime rates for the time worked in excess of the 40 hours. Many of the public were under the misapprehension that the new bill would mean a live-day week, but this was not so —in the meantime at any rate —and would have to be decided by the Court of Arbitration when the different workers' organisations made application for this. As the law now stands: a 5% day week can be worked but only if the hours of work do not exceed 40 hours at ordinary rates, plus four at overtime, if necesary. The position as far as Whakatane is concerned is that the hours de,cided upon by the Retailers makes it possible for the 40 hour week to be worked the New Year, which includes a 3-h"our - shopping service, on Saturday morning. Ihe position will be further .investigated at a meeting of the Association in the New Year when any new information will lie tabled and when more definite rulings should be obtainable.