CASUAL WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1452, 29 May 1912, Page 6

CASUAL WORKERS.

4 A WEEKLY WAGE WASTED, A deputation from tlie Wellington Painters' Union, consisting of Messrs. F. Cornwell (president), G. I'\ Reyling (secTotarv), and W. Brodrick, waited upon the Hon. W. D. S. Macdonald (Minister for Public Works) yesterday afternoon to urge that a weekly pay day for casuals in the employ of the Department should be established. Mr. Cornwell said that at tho present time casual workers .employed by the Department were paid fortnightly. This might be convenient enough for permanent hands, but 'many of the casuals, when they wero taken on, had been out of work for weeks, or they might have had illness in their families. If they were employed on a Tuesday they had to wait for a fortnight before they got any pay. It might prejudico a man's job if ho tried to get any money before tho regular time. Private employers in tho building and painting trades paid their men weekly, and the deputation considered that the Government should be a model employer. Mr. Brodrick stated that lie had encountered instances, whiie in the employ of the .Public Works Department, in which men had snifered hardship through having to wait for their money. Mr. Reyling said that Mie Departmental week ended oil Tuesday, but tho men wero paid fortnightly on Friday. Painters and other casual workers as a tulo were not millionaires. Particularly if a man had a family, he wauled his money as soon as ho coniil get it. It was the law that private employers should pay weekly, and the Government ought to do the same. The Minister replied that he did not. exactly know the position in regard to Hie method of paying wages, but that he would go inlo'the question with the TJn-der-Secretary. It did not appear (o him that there was any great difficulty in the way. lie would see ivhat arrangements could be made, and advise the union as soon as he got the views of the Departmental officers on the question. He quite understood that a casual might easily want a week's wages as soon as they were earned. Casuals were taken on at any time, and it seemed reasonable that the Department should be prepared lo pay them at any time.