"Mondayising" Of Saturday Holidays

Chronicle (Levin), 12 November 1948, Page 5

"Mondayising" Of Saturday Holidays

Press AssociaMon)

(Per

WELLINGTON, Nov,. 11. In the House of Representatives tonight, Hon. A. McLagan, moving the second reading of the Public Holidays Amendment Bill wrhich " Alondayises " for the purpose of industrial awards and agreements, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and proyincial anniversary Days when they oecm on Saturday, said that for soine time there had been a gradual process in that direction. It liad alread^' been wrritten into. 46 awards or agreements that when a holiday fel.l on Saturday, the obseryance of any special award. eonditions should be transferred to the following Mouda.V. However, there was a far greater nuuiber of awards whieh did not yet provide for this transfer and to avoid the risk of irritation and industrial tronble ai'ising, the Government felt it ivise to eoniplete the alteration by oue stroke of legislation rather than leave it to the Court to'" wri-te the provision into each award as it was renewod. Mr. McLagan said this Mondayising of public hobdays whieh fall on Saturday, was the natural oonsequence of the institution of the forty-hou'r week. When Saturday was a w'orking day, the workers, if they had the day as a holiday, received payment for it. in recent years many workers who had the Christmas holiday on Saturday received no holiday pay and it was desirable to restore the fornier position. The Minister said Christmas Day last fell on a Saturday in 1938 and. it would again o'ccur on "a Satfirday in" l'952 "and 1965, so the occasions for the Mondayising of the observanee of Christmas Day would be few.

The Minister said the clause in tlie Bill providing that in future the observanee on Anzac Day should not be Mondayised, was the result of an agreement between the R.S.A. and Pederation of Labour. In the past the Mondayising of Anzae Day had occurred in some awards by agreement bbtween workers and employers, many of thern returned servicemen, but as the R.S.A, disliked the praetjce, it had been agreed to discontipue it. Both the Employers' Pederation and Federation of Labour, sajd the Minister, agreed to the principles of the Bill althougli they had olfered some critieism of certain dctails. Mr, McLagan said tlie employers had raised a question in regard to ■ transport workers on Christmas Day. That was a matter .for another department of the State but the authorities concerned might agree to a suggestion that had been made for dealing with the special ditficulties of the transport industry. Mr. W. A. Sheat (Patea) said the Gpposition supported the Bill, realislng that the ehanges in law which it introdueed were the logica) development of other ehanges in rdeent years which liad made Saturdaj' almost a second Sundav for many people. Provision was made many years ago for tlie observanee on a Alonday of award provisions relating to Christmas Day when that day fejl on a Sunday and it was only reasonable that tlie ' sanie principle should now be applied when the public holiday felj on Saturday. There would be some apparent increases in costs but actually the cost in the years affeeted would be no greater than -when Christmas Day fell on a week day. Mr. Sheat mentioned difficulties that would arise in certain industries and suggested that city tramways should be permitted to charge -Sunday fares on Christmas Day to recompense thein for. the extra wages cost they would incur.

Mr. McLagan, replying to a pojnt raised by Mr, Doidge, said shopkcepers at places like Mt. Maunganui could apply to the Magistratc for exemptiou from the provisions of tlie Bill so that holidav-inakers coqld be sujiplied with food. There was every prospect that their applications would be granted. Mr. McLagan said he was pleased with the reception given to the Bill, There would be terfific pressure at Christmas time op the transport services and accommodation and so severq liad beep the pressure in the past that. the holidays could not be fully enjoyed. A suggestion had been made' that holidays should be staggered and he had arranged to hold discussions between the Federation of Labour and Employers' Federation on that subject. 7t woujd be agreed that the staggering of holidays should be tried on a small scale for a stapt. He was satisfied that some workable method could be agreed upon. Thq Bill wag given a. second reading, put through t^e eommittee stages and passed, making it the ninth Bill passed for the dhy. The House rose at 11,40 p.m, until 10.30 a.m, tomorrOw.