MINIMUM WAGE ACT

Chronicle (Levin), 30 March 1946, Page 6

MINIMUM WAGE ACT

-Press Association

MINISTER DETAILS EXEMPTED CLASSES

By Teiegrapii-

■ WELLINGTON, Marcli §9. In a statenient today tlie Acting Minister of Labour (Ilon. J. O'Brien) expjai'ued fliat tlie Minimum Wage Act, 1945, ykick cqiney-into foree on April i, 1046, prbvicfes* tlfat every worker of ' 21 years of age or over to whoni the Act applies/sligll be entitled to re'ceive froiri liis or her'employer payment for his or lier work-'-at not less than tlie following .appropriate minimum rates: 1. If paid by. tlie liour or by piecework, 2/9 au'liour for inales and 1/8 pn liour f oi; femaleSjibr an ;ainount equivaiont tlieroto .having regard 40 . tlie rate of production- "of : tlie work'er.; ♦ j« :■ a.. l'f paid:by;flie da'y, 22s daily for -inales and 18s 4(1 for feinales. * , 3. In all otlier eases, £5 5s a weelc for males and £3 3s a week for feinales. Where board or lodging is provided by tlie employer, regard sliall be liad in deterniining whether tlie appropriate rate Is .paiu, to tlie valuc of sueli board or lodging, as^essed in aeeordanee with tlie Act. Tlie Act applies to all male and fetnale \v orlcers of 21 years of age and upv.anls except: (a) Apprentiees under Ihe Apprentiees Act, 1923, or tlie Masicr and Apprentiee Act, 19U8, and (b) persons of any class preseribed by regulations under tlie Act wlio are cmployed under contracts of serviee under which thev are required to undergo training, instruction -or examination for tlie purpose of beconiing qiralilied" for tlie occapation to which tlie coAtract of serviee relates. >; ; ■

The Minister said flint, in pursuanee of Paragrapli" (;b) regfilations had been niade excepting from" the provisions of tlie Act tlie following classes of persons: , 1. Eeihalc apprentiees employcd under nwards or -induslrial agreements. 2. Apprentiees serving under avticles oi' apprcnticesliip of any of tlie classes lel'erred to in Section 11 of tlie Pharinacy Act, 1939. 3. Pupil nurses, pupil aids and liiat- J ornity trainees under tlie Nurses and : Miduives Act, 1945. 4. Persons employeil under contracts | of serviee under wliicli tliey are re- ; quired to undergo any training, instruc- j lion or examination i'or tlie purpose cf J beconiing qualilied for tlie following j [irofessions: Accountaucy, ar'cliitecturc, j enginecring (cb'il, electrical, niecliani- j cal or structural), law, optical survey- j ing; where ilie employer is liimself ] piactising Ihe particular professibn ,in i respeeL of which ther person is under- J going sucli traiuing-pr- .instruction. J 5. Any of tlie following classes 'Of , persons in Ihe employ of the Dbpart- j ment of Education oyoikany education boanl, bo'arib of governors, board of managers or otlier autJiority having iinmediate control of any public school, ujit-ive srbufeil; s 0 o-o n 1 1 ci ^ lio 0 1 witUi111 tlie nieaniug of Ihe* tediicaUoii Ac't^ '1914, or of an-y-f ecliuical school, teclihii cal liigli school, combined school or teachers' training colh'ge established under that Act: (a) Training ebllege siudeuts, (b) kindergarten trainees, '(c)student teachers iu technical and, conp bined. scliobls, f) 'lioinecraff ' trainees, {(>) 'male junibr ■' assistante in pative schools. : ; ; G. The following employees of the CTown: (1) ' f emale student ^enfal nurses, (II) rural field cadets wliile. ap, tending Lincoln or Massey College, (111) urban field cadets while attending any uuiversitv college as fulltime studeiits, (IV) otfieers granted special leave while attending any uuiversitv college as fulltime students. 7. " Any othor fulltime students of any college einployed during any vac.aJ t i 011 }>eriod for tlie purpose of obtaining

practicaL, qxperiencd, to supplement 'tljS tjiepretieaf knowledge obtained as a result of tkeir studiesi Tlie - Minister stated tliat, tvhere "a worker (who is in a class of persons to v.hom the Act still applies) considers he is ineapable of carning tlie miniinum wage preseribed by tlie Act, he ma/ mahe application to the inspector of awvards at the nearest ofiic'e of the Labour Department for an under-rate permit.