"ORGANISED MOVE"

Evening Post, Issue 126, 29 May 1936, Page 10

"ORGANISED MOVE"

-DISMISSAL NOTICES

QUESTION ASKED IN HOUSE

MINISTER'S -WARNING

Further reference was made in the House of Representatives today to the dismissal of employees by firms allegedly for the purpose cf avoiding- the provisions of the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill, and the Minister of Labour (the Kon. H. T. Armstrong) issued another warning- that anything; of that nature would not bo tolerated. The matter was raised by Mr. C. H. Chapman (Government, Wellington North) in conjunction with the members for Napier, Hawke's Bay, Timaru, and Nelson. Mr. Chapman asked Mr. Armstrong whether he would take steps to ensure that the policy of the Government in connection with the Shops and Offices Bill was not rendered ineffective through the discharge of employees before July 1. . ■ "A chain stores firm with shops in many towns of the Dominion has given its staff a week's notice and offered to re-employ them on a temporary basis for the apparent purpose of evading the application of the policy of the Government respecting the wage standards of shop assistants," said Mr. Chapman. In his reply the Minister said: "Section 7 of the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill requires that in future every shop assistant shall not be paid .. less than 15s per week during the first six month's of employment, with half-yearly increments of 4s a week, bringing the wage up to not less than £2 per week at the end of the third year. Subclause (3) of the same clause reads as follows: — (3) For the purpose of determining the rate of payment to which any ] person is entitled under the said sec-i tion eleven, as amended by this section, there shall be taken into account all periods of that person's employment in any shop whatsoever, whether before or after the commencement of this Act. EVADE MINIMUM.S' "In view of the concluding words of this sub-clause, employers must credit employees with service prior to the passing of the Act, and cannot evade the minimum wages requirements oE the section by dismissing, shop assistants prior to July 1 and re-engaging them. It is further provided in Section 21 of the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill that no person employed in any shop or office shall be dismissed or reduced in wages merely by reason of any alteration made in the working hours under the Bill.' "These two clauses may prove sufficient to ensure that the .Government's policy is not rendered ineffective through, the discharge of employees; j but in any case my . Department is closely .watching the position throughlout New Zealand, and if it appears to me necessary in the light of reports which I receive from the districts, the J Government will consider what further steps should be taken to sec that the purposes of the present legislation arc not frustrated. j "So far as the particular case quoted by thVhon. members is concerned, my Department took the matter up yesterday with the firm concerned, and has received assurance that the notices issued to members of its staff in various parts of New Zealand on the 27th instant have been withdrawn." SCORES OF LETTERS. The Minister added that, judging by the scores of letters he had received from all parts of the country, there was an organised move to undermine the purpose.of the legislation. "I want to warn employers of this particular type that they are not going to get away with it," said Mr. Armstrong. "As the Prime Minister said last night, our opponents may win the first round, but we shall win the rest." Mr. Armstrong quoted the case of a girl who had been employed for four years in an office at 25s a week. She was highly efficient. The girl received notice because under the Bill the firm would have to pay her £2 a week. On the day she received notice an advertisement appeared calling for applicants for two junior positions in the same firm. There was another case of a young man. nearly twenty-one years of age. llt was quite clear that he would have had to be paid !£2 a week, but he had I received notice and on the same day an advertisement had- appeared from ihs same firm.'for two boys for the factory at 15s a week. .