LABOUR LAWS.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19899, 30 May 1936, Page 23 (Supplement)

LABOUR LAWS.

I r ‘ I ATTEMPTS AT EVASION. l t ..._ I A CLOSE WATCH KEPT. l I (By Telegruph.~i'ress Association) } \VELLIXGTDN, Friday. : in the liouse ot‘ ltepresvntaiives this Imorning, Mr Li. H. lihapiimn (Labour :—\\'ellington North), asked the Miniister of Labour, the lion. 11. T. Arm§Strong (in connection with the memgl)ers for Napier, Ilatvke‘s Bay, Timoru éund Nelson) whether he will take Isteps to ensure that the policy of the [Government connection with shops and éomces is not rendered inen‘ective‘ ithrough the discharge of employees |betore July 1. He said a chain stores‘ [firm with shops in many towns of the 7 lDominion has given its staff a weeks ’notice and offered to re-employ them lan a temporary basis for the apparent ipurpose of evading the intention of ithe Government respecting safe stand— M‘ds of shop assistants. 'Mlnlater’s Reply. The Hon. H. T. Armstrong, in reply. quoted Section 7 sub—clause 3 of the Shops and Ofllces Amendment Uih,‘ and said in view of the 'eonrlndingl \\jords of the sub clause cmployersl must credit their employees with ser‘viee prior to the passing of the .\r'tl :nnd cannot evade the minimum \vug'es, requirements of the section ‘hy (lis—missing shop assistants prior to July 1 and rte-engaging them. It is further provided in Section 2] of the Shops and Ottlccs Amendment Bill that no| person employed in any shop or oilicc shall be dismissed or reduced in wages ] merely by reason of any alteration ‘made in working hours under the Bill. The Minister added: . “These two clauses may prove sufficient to ensure that the Gov—ernment‘s policy is not rendered in—effective through the discharge of employees, but in any case the department is closely watching the position throughout New Zealand, and if it appears to me necessary in - the light of reports which I receive from districts, the Government will consider what further steps should . be taken to see that the purposes of the present legislation are not frustrated. Matter- Taken Up. “As far as the particular easel ‘ quoted by members is concerned the . Department took the matter up yss—terduy with the firm concerned, and has received an assurance that the notices issued to the members of its stall‘ in varlous parts of New Zea—lund on the 27th instant have been Withdrawn." .\ir Armstrong said this position did not apply only to one firm, and quoted instances where other firms had given employees notice of dismissal.