WAGES FOR CASUAL SHOP WORK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 11, 28 January 1937, Page 6

WAGES FOR CASUAL SHOP WORK

-Preaa Association.)

Must Minimum of £2 be Paid?

COURT SAYS NO

t Bv Telejrraph—

CHRISTCHURCH, Last Night. •Claiming that under tbe Shops and Offices Act and its amendments an employer was compelled to pay £2 to a "casual employee for any work in any one week, the Labour Department brought an action against W. J. Kingsland, hairdresser, in the Magistrate's Court this morning. The information was dismissed by Mr Levvey, but the officer in charge of the Labour Departmentj Mr R. T. Bailey, asl-ed for surety to be fixed for appeal. Surety was fixed at £10 10/-. Mr McGregor, a Labour Department inspector, said that Kingsland employed a casual worker from 4 p m. to 8.30 p.m. on Eridays, with an nour for tea, and from 9 a m. to 12.30 p.m. on Saturdays. Staples was paid £1 a week less tax. Mr Purnell (for • Kingsland) ; £1 a week % Mr McGregor: 1 will amend tJbat— f:\ for eight bours. Mr Purnell said that tbe question was purely one of law but was i.f grtat importance to all . employers to whom fche Shops and Offices Act appUed. The onas was on the departmeht to satisfy the Court that the Act either expietcly cr by inference . compeiled an employer to pay a minimum wage of £2 in any i ne week to a oasual eaiployee The proposition set up .by the department was that even ii a casual wo' ker was employed for one, hour in any one week he must ,.be paid £2. L'here wero never any prosecutions on the same basis under the previous Act, and nothing) had been woven into the amending Act to justify the present interpretation of it. Mr Purnell pointed out that ihe award pr.ovided lor the puyment of casual workers at 2/6 an hour with a minimum . of three hours. A woxker employed three days a week was td be de'emed a weekly, band. Mr R. A. Young,.. on behalt of the . Hairdressers' , Association, said that, on the Labour Department's iuteipreone hour he must get £2. That man fcation . if a man were employed for could make £16 a day by going fiom shop to shop. /} Mr R. T. Bailey, for the Labour Department, argued that the Act overruled the award. The Magistrate said -a. statute could be made to read eommonsense or to give . a reductio ad • absurdum. Although the argu'ment of the depait- : ment was subtle, it , could not be sustained. The section of the Act couid only apply te vveekly as opposqd to casual employee?. The. legislation obviously intended to leave casual eniployees to the hward relative to eacli trade, ■