HOLIDAY PAY.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 414, 22 April 1937, Page 5

HOLIDAY PAY.

FACTORY WORKERS. Test Case Affecting Dairy Companies. In the nature of a test case, the Inspector of Awards. Mr. F. Wilson, proceeded against the Cardiff Co-op-erative Dairy Factory Company, Ltd., in the Stratford Magistrate's Court to-day, claiming £lO as penalty for breach of the Taranaki Creameries, Cheese, and Butter Factories Employees’ Agreement. It was alleged that the defendant company did employ a worker, W. B. Edwards, between October 30, 1936 and January 31, 1937, and when the employment was terminated did fail to allow him a proportionate amount of holiday on full pay as provided for in the agreement.

Mr. Wilson appeared on behalf of the Labour Depur.ment, and Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson, of Wellington, represented! the Cardiff company. The case was an extremely import, ant one, said Mr. Wilson in his opening remarks. He estimated that in the Taranaki province probably £5OOO would depend upon the result of the case, which involved the payment of holiday allowance by factories where the employees were employed for more than two months during last season. The difference between the present agreement and the 1931 award, Mr. Wilson continued, was that under the present agreement, the men worked six days a week and were not entitled to holidays, but under the 1931 award there was no such qualification,. He submitted that the special payment for holidays in the 1931 award had been restored without any qualification. Mr. Stevenson said that .the 1931 award provided for a seven-day week and because it did so the employees were entitled to an annual holiday. “Our particular ,case is that we are a six-day factory," Mr. Stevenson said. Cost to Industry. In reply to the Magistrate, Mr. W. H. Woodward, Mr. S.evenson said that the proce. dings were merely taken against the Cardiff company as a test case for -the industry. If the contention of the Labour Department was right, it would mean an annual payment of £25,000 to £30,000 by the industry, which was a very heavy impost and one that the industry never exp: ced to meet. He submited that there was neither a moral nor a legal right to a 11 days’ holiday. The 1931 award said that The workers should work at such times as were necessary to deal with the produce, and, furthermore,- the Factories Act always recognised that butter or cheese factories were not subject to the conditions as applied to other factories. Mr. Stevenson was submitting legal argument when the luncheon adjournment wias taken.