ORDINARY RATES FOR OVERTIME

Evening Star, Issue 23685, 19 September 1940, Page 14

ORDINARY RATES FOR OVERTIME

WHY AUCKLAND OFFER WAS DEFERRED [Special to the ‘ Stab.’] WELLINGTON, September 18. ■ Fuller information concerning the complaint regarding the application of an Auckland firm for the right to work 44 hours a week at ordinary rates of pay for the purpose of munition-making throws a different light on the attitude of the Industrial Emergency Council and the Minister of Labour' (Mr P. C. Webb) to that previously implied. It will be recalled that complaint was made that, though the workers engaged by the particular firm in question volunteered to work the extra weekly hours on munition work at ordinary rates of pay, the Minister wrote intimating that the Industrial Emergency Council, after careful consideration, held that “there was not sufficient evidence to enable the application for an extension of hours to be granted at the present juncture.” On the face of things this appeared to be an unreasonable rejection of an offer in which workers and their employers . h?d “got together” for the purpose of increasing the country’s war effort at a sacrifice of award conditions deserving of encouragement and commendation. The facts, as stated, go to show that everything was not disclosed in the account of the story as originally published, and that , the strictures based thereon were not justified It would seem that: 1. The application for an extension of hours made by the Auckland Manufacturers’ Association on behalf of Messrs Booth, M'Donald was based on the firm’s contract for munition work. 2. The making of munitions by the firm has not yet commenced, although it is expected that it will be comraenced in the near future, as soon as the sample castings have been approved by the military authorities. 3. The manager of the works has stated to a Government officer that he can produce the quantity or castings required without any variation of the terras of the engineers, moulders, and boilermakers’ award. _ 4. In the foundry there are 18 men employed, only five of whom would be required on the munition work, the others being engaged on the hm s ordinary commercial work of agricultural implement-making. 5 The extension of hours applied for was for the whole 18 men, not for those engaged in munition work on y. 6. The application of the firm was not refused, but was only deferred pending evidence of necessity. 7 There was no evidence before the committee of the Emergency Council that the workers had volunteered to work extended hours, but it is a fact that when asked bvthe.remployerif they would do so they bad consented on condition that it was on munition The decision of the Industrial Emergency Council to recommend the Minister of Labour to defer the application was unanimously reached by represen tatives of employers and workers with the object of making certain of tue necessity of the step suggested. The Industrial Emergency Council, *.s previously mentioned by the Minister, has been very successful in promoting agreements between employers and workers, with the object of furthering the national war effort in industries affected, the percentage of agreements reached being very high. This has been brought about largely by creating an atmosphere of confidence between the parties and by affording an assurance that neither aide will attempt to exploit the war situation for personal or private advantage. In the case under review the Industrial Emergency Council has merely deferred decision pending fuller information with the object of ensuring that the decision, when finally reached, will do justice to all the interests concerned.