DRIVERS' HOURS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22960, 11 February 1938, Page 15

DRIVERS' HOURS

MERCANTILE FIRMS 1 LENGTH OF THE WEEK \ EFFECT OF AN AWARD i ; ADVICE TO EMPLOYERS In view of published statements made the secretary of the Auckland Drivers' Union, Mr L. G. Matthews, to the elfect that the recent award made for storemen and packers, providing for a 40-hour week, gave drivers employed by merchants and operating to and from tlio stores of merchants the right to a 40-hour week also, the assistant secretary of the Auckland Employers' Associition, Mr. I. C. Howard, has issued a circular to members refuting the contention. He adyises members not to observe the interpretation given by Mr. Matthews. Mr. Howard pointed out that such workers as storemen and packers, drivers and clerical workers, while so engaged, did not necessarily constitute the actual business or industry in which the employer was engaged, but wero merely adjuncts. Except in the case of carriers and transport companies, which employed only drivers [(who may bo employed for 44 hours), there was no possibility of driving being considered the industry. Bearing on Wages Members who were parties to the Storemen and packers' award would have noted that the hours of work were 40, with the right to work in • excess of 40 up to 44 hours. The intention of this provision was,"of course, to distribute wages more equitably to such storemen and packers who were required to work longer hours than, for example, workers in factories required to work 40 hours. It was not considered equitable that a storeman or packer working 44 hours should receive the same remuneration as a storeman or packer required to work 40. Tho ultimate result of thd 40-hour provision was that it affected wages only in tho case of industries requiring their storemen and packers to work longer hours than 40. The storemen ana packers' award did not apply to emplovees within the scope of the retail sliop assistants' award, in / which provision was made for storemen and packers to work 44 hour." at a wage fixed under that award.

Crop of Award) In commenting on the statements by Mr. Matthews, Mr. Howard said he noted with rueful amusement that Mr. Matthews expressed the opinion that so many awards were operating Sn some establishments that it had become practically impossible for employers to make themselves conversant with every award. "It is surely truly significant of the trend affecting industry when such an opinion is volunteered by one of those responsible for the situation," added Mr. Howard.