HOLIDAY CONFUSION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8873, 6 November 1907, Page 4

HOLIDAY CONFUSION.

The King's Birthday holiday which is to be held on Monday next bids fair to be marred by the confusion which exists in regard to statutory holidays and awards by the Arbitration Court. Had the birthday cele- „ bration beei/left 10 its proper date, November 9th, there would have been no trouble, but the Monday fixture —November 11th—is likely to be productive of inconvenience. If i Saturday is not observed as a statutory holiday, then employees working under an award are entitled to charge time and a half. The Government has announced chat it is prepared to close its eyes to breaches of the award upon the occasion, but the Labour Department states that it .cannot prevent employees claiming under the law. Although there is a general disposition on the part of employers to "take all risks," there will be a considerable number throughoufthe dominion who will decline the responsibility, and will therefore carry ['on business on Monday. Thus the holiday will be more or less imperfectly observed. The banks will close on Saturday, and open on Monday. They have no option under the Act controlling them. There is a proposal before Parliament to fix Monday as the day of observance of all statutory holidays that fall on any other day of the week, and if this is carried much inconvenience and annoyance will in the future be spared both employers and employees. The latter will have the great advantage of being freed from labour from the Saturday until I the Tuesday following.