SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 969, 9 November 1910, Page 4

SHOPS AND OFFICES BILL.

'■ * — : —~ • ■ IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS.... The Labour Bills' Committee yesterday ■reported' to the House the Shops and Offices Act Amendment Bill, with amendments. Clause 3, "Hotels and restaurants to he deerned_ shops," is amended so that the definition of assistant shall not apply to engineers, electricians, or clerks engaged, in an hotel. Clause 5,. regarding hours of employment, now reads as follows: "Except as ..(hereinafter .provided an assistant | shall not be employed in or. about . an, hotel or its business for more than 62 ' hours, (excluding meal times) in any. | one week in the case of a malo..whose. age exceeds sixteen years, nor . more [ than 58 hours (excluding meal times) ill any ono week in any other case; for | moro than, ten .hours (excluding meal '"times), in any one day;' nor for more than '52 hours'.(excluding meal;, times), ■in,any one week. In any restaurant, " for 1 more.,than;jO,hours (excluding meal times) in'any'one 'day,-'.nor for more than five hours continuously .without an interval.of at.least half an hour for a meal; nor at"any timo'. after :two. o'clock in 'the afternoon of such wbrk- ■ ing day in each week as the'occupier . in the caso of each assistant thinks fit.

•A_ new sub-clause has been added stating that the wifo of the occupier ■or their,children shall not be deemed to be shop assistants within, the meaning of this clause. Nothing in the section shall he deemed to affect an award in force until the new award is made.

Clause 8, .regarding notice in. Tespcct of holidays, has been simplified. In every hotel or restaurant there shall be kept ill an approved holiday book a record of the 'working day in the week fixed for the half or whole holiday of each assistant, the .'record to bo open to the .inspector andsig'ned by each, assistant before leaving the premises. ■ Tho Coramitteo took the evidence.of. Messrs. E. J. Carey (representing various unions), F, Reyling (secretary to Trades and Labour Council), A. H. Cooper (secretary of the. .Wellington. Butchers' "Union), Jas. Rod (representing employers), Wm. Bryor (secretary to the Employers' Federation),, John Beveridgo (president of the Wellington Licensed Victuallers' Association), and John Dwyer (one of the Licensed Victuallers' Committee).