Workmen's Wages.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 169, 16 January 1895, Page 3

Workmen's Wages.

AN IMPOETANT POINT. [PEB PBBSB ASSOCIATION.. 1 Auckland, January 15. Recently a number of employes waited on the Hon. W. Jennings, M.L.C , with a yiew to ascertain whether employers were justified in deducting a percentage Of their wages in order to form a fund for insurance against accidents, &c. It seems that a number of employers in Auckland have adopted this practice, a certain proportion of every man's wages being deducted each week to form an insurance fund. The men object to this, as most of them are members of friendly societies, which give aid in case of illness. Mr Jennings telegraphed to the Government, and received the following reply : " The Crown Law Office is of opinion that the employer cannot deduct if the workman Objects. The Employers Liability Act gives no such power. They possibly rely on Sub section 7, Section 19, of the Truck Act, 1891, which says that the Truck Act ehali not extend to prevent an employer from advancing out of and deducting from wages money to be contributed by the workman to any friendly or other society ; but that can only be done with the workman's consent, and in the absence of such consent Section 5 of that Act applies, viz.— that the entire amount of wages shall actually be paid in money, and not otherwise."