WAGES AND OVERTIME

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 459, 17 June 1937, Page 5

WAGES AND OVERTIME

BAKERY HOURS Magistrate’s Reserved Decision 11l the Stratford Magistrate's Court this morning Mr W. H- Woodward, S.M., gave his reserved- decision in respect to a number, of charges charges lagainst T. W. Smith, baker, Stratford. At a sitting of the Court on May 20 defendant was charged that during the period from July 1, 1936, to September 26, 1936, he employed W. Ferguson as a foreman baker and did fail to pay him £5 10s per week as required by the provisions of rthe Finance Act, 1936; thalt during the same period he employed' J. Patterson as a journeyman baker and did fail to pay him £5 per week as required by the Act; land that he employed W. Ferguson and J. Patterson in a bakehouse on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday in each week at an earlier hour tli'an 4 a.m., and did fail to pay them double rates for such time worked between midnight and 4 a.m. Defendant was further

I charg-ed under the Factories’ Act j with failing to keep (a. proper wages ! and overtime book. Position of Employees. ■ The wages book had now been obi t'ained and the entries made, said Mr D. T. C. Brayshaw, Inspector, of I Factories. In reference to the hours he said he had visited the Bakehouse this morning andi found that no change had been made. The employees had been starting at 2 a.m. and earlier. They were starting early to suit themselves, but they could not contract themselves outside the award: ft appears that the men had to start elarlier -to get the work done, iin which case Mr Smith would have |to pay for overtime. One of the men was' being paid 10s above the award rate and defendant also paid the unemployment tax. No arrears had been paid. “If the men wished to get away early surely there should be some give and fake,” said Mr Smith. The Magistrate .(Mr V/. H. Wood- ! ward, S.M.) said that in view of Mr ; Smith’s reasonable treatment of his ! employees he did not feel inclined i to inflict a penalty for failing- to pay I the prescribed wages. . ’ For failing to keep a wages and overtime book defendant was lined £1 (cbsits 10s). In regard to the charge of early starting the Magistrate said he would adjourn the matter of penalty for a fontnight in order to give defendant a further opportunity to comply w.l h the provisions’ of the Act.