WORK ON HOLIDAYS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 58, Issue 38, 24 November 1937, Page 3

WORK ON HOLIDAYS.

PROTEST® BY EMPLOYERS. ! CUTTING! OF PRICES ALLEGED 1 . (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 23. A vigorous protest against work being done on Saturday, although the conditions governing the industry provided for a; five-day week, was made by Mr M. J. Bell, of Christchurch, an employers’ assessor at the Conciliation Council to-day which considered the New Zealand painters’ dispute. Mr Bell said that work was done not only on Saturdays but on Sundays and holidays for private individuals below the award rates, and the practice should be stopped. The workers’ agent, Mr F. D. Cornwell, assured Mr Bell of the support of the workers’ side in any endeavour to have a stop put to the practice. Air Bell said a vigorous protest must be made against the practice. While employers cited under the award were hound in every way by the award, the workers, wild applied for the-, award and who were or should be at least equal parties to it, were free to do as they chose the moment they were out of the employ of a cited employer. “They can, and many of them'do,” he said, “work on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays for private individuals, at rates far below those set out in the award, usually in the guise of contracting for a job. They work all hours to carry it out and receive no extra remuneration for overtime such as would be payable if they were in the employ of one of) us. In fairness to our friends on the other side of the table I. must say that they have recognised the unjust situation and have* striven with us to end it, but so far all our efforts have been nullified by some peculiarity in the labour laws which we are unable to fathom.

“I am speaking for the overwhelming majority of employers in our business who employ from a dozen to half a dozen men and are themselves activ# workers in the industry. It is a frequent occurrence to quote for a job and later to find the work being done by workers during evenings, week-ends, and holidays at prices not calculated on. the pay of ordinary rates, to say nothing of overtime rates.”