WORK ON HOLIDAYS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 52, 24 November 1937, Page 5

WORK ON HOLIDAYS

-Press Association.)

Painters Who Do Jobs At Below Award Rates EMPLOYER PROTESTS .

(By TelegrapH—

WELLINGTON, Last Night, A vigorous protest against work being done on Saturday3 though the conditions governing the industry provided for a five-day week, was made by Mr E. J. .Bell, of Christchurch, the employers' assessor, at the Coneiliation Council to-day, which considered the New Zealand painters' dispute. Mr Bell said that the work was done not only on Baturdays, but on Sundays and holidays, for private individuals at below award rates, and that the practiee should be stopped. The workers' agent, Mr F. D. Cornwell, assuxed Mr Bell of the support of the workers' side in an endeavour to have a stop put to the practice. Mr Bell said a vigorous protest must be ma/le against the f act that, while the employers cited under the award were bound in every way by the award, the workers, who applied for an award and who were or ishouM be, at least, equal parties to it, were free to do as they chose the moment they were out of the employ of the cite.d. employer. "They can, and many of them do, work on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays for private individuals, at rates far Below. those set out in the award, usually in the guis.e of contracting for the job. Men have to work all hours to carry it out and reeeive no extra remuneration for overtime such as would be payable if they were in the employ of one of us. In faimess to our friends on the other side of the table, I must say they have recognised the unjust situation and have striven with us to end it, but so far all our efforts have been nidliffeti by some peeuliarity in the labour laws which we are unable to fathom. "I am speaking for the overwhelming majority of employers in our business who employ from one dozen to half a dozen men and "are themselves active workers at the industry. It is a frequent occurrence to find work being done by workers during the evenings, week-ends, and holidaysz and at prices not calculated to pay ordinary rates, to say nothing of overtime rates."