H—4s

In accordance with the undertaking given by the Commission to shipping companies when this fund was established the details shown in the Revenue Account are sufficient, in conjunction with the summary of the composition of the national administration levy, to enable income and expenditure to be classified for comparative purposes as follows : (i) Annual Holidays (Ist April, 1946, to 31st March, 1947). —The total income relating to annual and statutory holidays for the year ended 31st March, 1947, amounts to £150,892, being the sum of Annual Holidays Act levies (£141,200) and sixteen thirtyseconds of national administration levies of £19,384 (£9,692). Of this total, £35,300 represents levies of 2jd. per paid labour-hour for the period Ist April, 1946, to 4th August, 1946. This leaves a balance of £115,592 in respect of levies at 4d. per paid labour-hour for the period sth August, 1946, to 31st March, 1947, of which nine-sixteenths, or £65,020, refers to annual holidays, and the statutory holidays proportion of sevensixteenths equals £50,572. The separate income for costs of annual holidays for the year ended 31st March, 1947, was therefore £100,320, as against £98,938 in 1945-46, an increase of £1,382, or 14 per cent. On the other hand, expenditure on union and non-union annual holiday pay (including administration assessment of 2h per cent. on income, as for a separate fund) increased by £13,758, or 16-5 per cent., to £97,218 as compared with 1945-46. The net surplus was therefore £3,102, or 34 per cent, of income. The increase in union annual holiday pay is due, firstly, to a change in the basis of computing such pay, and, secondly, to an increase in union membership. The basis of computing union annual holiday pay was altered as from the Ist August, 1946, to one half-day for every eleven qualifying days instead of for every fourteen qualifying days. The maximum for each holiday year still remains as twentytwo half-days. For the period Ist August, 1946, to 31st March, 1947, however, it was possible for a unionist to earn a maximum of nineteen half-days accrued annual holiday pay, as compared with fifteen half-days under the previous basis. The effect, therefore, is to bring a greater proportion of the total annual holiday pay due to charge during the first eight months of the holiday year. Reference to the summary of union membership (page 24) shows that the total union membership at main and secondary ports as at 31st December, 1946, was 6,150, as compared with 5,917 as at 31st March, 1946 (H-45, 19th August, 1946, p. 14). This is an increase of 4 per cent, during the nine-months period, and further members have been admitted since that date. On the other hand, non-union holiday pay for 1946-47, which amounted to £9,825, is a reduction of £415 on the cost for 1945-46. (ii) Statutory Holidays (Ist August, 1946, to 31st March, 1947). —As indicated in the comments on annual holidays, the income for statutory holidays for the eight months ended 31st March, 1947, amounted to £50,572. Expenditure on statutory holiday pay (including administration assessment of 1\ per cent, on income, as for a separate fund) amounted to £32,621, leaving a net surplus of £17,951. As, however, only five out of nine statutory holidays fell during the eight-months period covered by the revenue, and also in view of the introduction of proportionate payments to unionists as from the 10th March, 1947, and of payments to regular non-unionists as from 24th March, 1947, there is an estimated contingent liability of £10,750 as at 31st March, 1947, which would reduce the net surplus to £7,201, or 14-2 per cent, of income. (iii) Daily and Weekly Minimum, Payments (10th March, 1947, to 31st March, 1947). — The income apportionable under this heading equals nine thirty-seconds of the national administration levy of £19,384 —that is, £5,451. Expenditure during this short period at the busy time of the export season (including administration assessment of 2| per cent. on income, as for a separate fund) amounted to £2,369, leaving a net surplus of £3,082. (iv) Central Pay Office, Labour Engagement Bureau, and General (Administration), (Ist April, 1946, to 31st March, 1947). —The total income forthis portion of the National Administration Fund for the year ended 31st March, 1947, amounted to £95,925,

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