Transfer of Holidays from Saturday to Monday Under Award

Grey River Argus, 12 November 1948, Page 4

Transfer of Holidays from Saturday to Monday Under Award

P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 11 Hon. A. McLagan moved in the House the second reading of the Public Holidays Amendment Bill, which Mondayises, for the purpose of industrial awards and agreements, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and provincial anniversary days when they occur on Saturday. He said that for some time, there had been a gradual process in this direction. It had already been written into fortysix awards or agreements that, when a holiday fell on a Saturday, observance of any special award conditions should be transferred to the following Monday. However, there was a far greater number of awards which did not provide for this transfer, and to avoid any risk of irritation and industrial trouble arising, the Government felt it wise to complete the alteration by one stroke of legislation, rather than leave it to the court to write the provision into each award as it was renewed. He said that a clause in the bill providing that in future the observance of Anzac Day should not be Mondayised, was the result of an agreement between the R.S.A. and the Federation of Labour. In the past the Mondayising of Anzac Day had occurred in some awards by agreement between workers and employers, many of them returned servicemen; but as the R.S.A. disliked this practice, it had been agreed to discontinue it. Both the employers’ federation and the Federation of Labour, said the Minister agreed to the principles of the bill, although they had offered some criticism of certain details. Mr N. A. Sheat (Nat. Patea) said the Opposition supported the bill, realising that changes in law which it introduced were a logical development of other changes in recent years which had made Saturday almost a second Sunday for many people. Provision was made many years ago for observance on Monday of award provisions relating to Christmas Day when that day fell on a Sunday and it was only reasonable that the same principle should now be applied when a public holiday fell on Saturday. The House rose at 11.40 after the passing of the bill.