SIX DAYS' WEEK.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1805, 18 July 1913, Page 8

SIX DAYS' WEEK.

FOR HOTEL EMPLOYEES. NEW SHOPS & OFFICES BILL. A CONSOLIDATING MEASURE. The Shops and Offices Bill, a measure to consolidate and amend tho law relating to employment in shops, offices, hotels, and restaurants, which is being submitted to Parliament by the Minister for Labour (tho Hon. W. F. Massey) was circulated yesterday. Half-Holiday Law. A new clause in tho Bill fixes tho method by which the weekly half-holiday in any "separate" district or "oombined" district, is to bo determined by a poll of electors. In order that a poll may bo taken, a requisition signed by not less tlian one-tenth of tho electors, is necessary, and the law is made much inoro specific as to who shall be entitled to sign such a requisition. Following is the new sub-clause in tho Bill:— "Every such requisition shall be signed by not. less than one-tenth of the total number of electors of tho borough or town district in tho caso of a separate district, or by not less than one-tenth of the tota.l number of the electors of tho constituent boroughs and town districts in tho case of a combined district. For the purposes of this sub-section tho electors shall be deemed to be tho pe'fsons .whose names are on the electors' roll or tho electors' rolls for the time being in force in the separate district or constituent districts. Every person signing a requisition under this section shall sign thereon his full name, and shall add to his signature his place of abode and calling ,or description; and the local authority may refuse to take into account the signature of any person who does not comply with the provisions of this subsection." If no poll is demanded in the manner required, the statutory closing day may be fixed by a resoluHon at a special meeting of the local authority in a separate district, and by a resolution of delegates from tho local authorities in a combined district. The Time Book. A new clause is inserted intended to get over the difficulties which have given rise to frequent complaints of unions about tho keeping of wages and overtime books. The occupier of a shop is required to fill in tliis book all particulars relating to the employment of each individual employee, and these particulars must include tho hours worked during rach. week. The new proviso is as follows:—"The entry of the particulars shall be signed by the assistant at tho time of tho payment of his wages,- and such signature shall operate not only as a receipt for such payment but also as a certificate of the correctness of tho particulars entered with respect to that assistant." Hotel Workers. Under tli'o old Act hotel workers wero granted a half-holiday only in the week. The new Bill provides the "six-day week" for them: also that males above sixteen shall work sixty-two hours per week and others 58 hours. In the case of restaurant employees males abovo sixteen have tho 62-hour week and others 52 hours. The working day shall not exceed eleven, hours, and may no't bo exceeded in any one day by more than three hours nor by more than ninety hours in any one year. Overtime shall be paid at half as much again as ordinary pay or 9d. per hour, whichever is the greater. In lieu of the whole holiday per week, to which each employco is entitled, it shall bo lawful for tho employer to allow his assistant, by mutual agreement, leave of absence on full pay for seven days in every threo months in tho caso of bar assistants in an hotel, or assistants in restaurants not carrying on business on Sundays. Hotel assistants other than those employed in tho bar may receive fourteen days' leave on full pay in every, three months, in lieu of tho weekly full day. Another alternative provided is. that an assistant entitled to a half-holi-day per week may receive a full holiday in every alternato week, in lieu of the regular half-day. A similar provision operates in the caso of the full day. Notwithstanding the provisions of this measure, Arbitration Court awards in operation on December 3, 1910 (tho date of the Shops and Offices Amendment Act/ 1910), and still in force at tho passage of this Bill, shall continue in forco as though tho Act had not been passed. An "hotel" for the* purpose of the Act is defined to mean not only, a licensed hotel, but a private hotel' r or private boardinghouso in which threo personsother tlian the occupier and members of his family are ordinarily employed.

Shop Assistants' Hours. Under the heading "Hours of Employment" is the following proviso: "It shall not bo lawful to extend the working hours of any female assistant or of any male assistant under tho age of sixteen years without the previous written consent of the' inspector." Under tho old Act tho law was that the working hours of any assistant could not be extended without a permit. If any shop assistant is employed at any such shop, later than fifteen minutes after the prescribed time, the employer commits an offeuce in respect of each shop-assistant so employed. Stable Work. Work of tending horses is provided for in the following clause: "Nothing in this Act shall render tho occupier of a shop liable to any penalty in respect to the employment of any shop-assistant in f feeding and tending horses used in the business of the occupier, in excess of the hours of employment allowed by this Act: Provided that such employment In excess shall not exceed one hour per day, and overtime shall be paid for such excess at tho rate of time and a quarter, with a minimum of ninepence per hour."