ARBITRATION COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1875, 8 October 1913, Page 5

ARBITRATION COURT.

POINT IN THE BAKERS' AWARD. His Honour Mr. Justice Sim yesterday delivered an answer to an application by the Inspector of Awards at Wellington for an interpretation _ of a provision of the Wellington District Bakers' and Pastrycooks' Award. The matter related to Clauß© 8 of the award, which is as follows: — "Employers shall not provide any of their workers with board or lodging on. their own premises: Provided that in anv case where a worker can satisfy the nearest inspector. of factories that it is not practicable for such worker to obtain at a reasonable rate suitable board and lodging elsewhere than on his employer's premises, such inspector of factories may issue to such worker a permit, authorising him to agroo with his employer to board and lodge on his employer's <, premises at a rate not. Acceding los. per week. This clause shall not apply ■ to the boarding of apprentices." The question submitted to His Honour was the following; "Has the inspector power to grant a permit to a worker to board or lodge on his employer's premises, as tho case may be, or has he only power to grant a permit to board and' lodgo—in other words, can the items bo separated?" "The question," says Mr. Justice Sim, in reply, "relates to an arrangement made by Godber and Co., Ltd., with certain of their employees, by which the latter are provided on the company's premises with two meals a day, for which they pay. The parties were heard on tho subject at the recent sitting of tho Court in Wellington. It is clear that tho arrangement in question is contrary to the provisions of the award, and that tho Inspector of Factories is not authorised to issue a permit in respect of it."