WAGES CASE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 59, Issue 40, 26 November 1938, Page 3

WAGES CASE.

GABUAL AND PERMANENT RATES

Judgment was reserved in a civil case between the Inspector ol Awards (Mr R. E. McGregor) and Richard J. Nell, which was heard at the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court before Mr TL. Morgan, S.M., yesterday. A claim of £lO was made against the defendant (Air L. A. Charles), who, it was alleged bad committed a breach of the Now Zealand Passenger Drivers’ Award by employing Douglas W. Helliwell on casual rates of wages when be should have been employed on the full rates of a permanent worker. The evidence showed that Helliwell was employed by defendant for a short period as a casual driver, but when defendant’s brother became ill be was put on as a permanent worker, receiving the award wages of £5 a week. When the brother recovered Helliwell was given notice on April .7 that he would be put on casual workers’ wages a week from that date, defendant adding that there was not sufficient for him to do as a permanent employee. s Defendant said that even when Helliwell was receiving the full rate of wages lie worked several hours a week less than was stipulated in the award, as there was not a great deal lor him to do. Defendant admitted one breach of the award, in the week ending May 28, when Helliwell bad worked an extra day without the full-time wages. Air Charles said that defendant was quite willing to pay the difference between the casual workers’ wages and permanent workers’ wages for tins veok.,

All- McGregor held that definite notice of the change over from one rate to the other had not been made, and he submitted that plaintiff was entitled to the amount represented by the difference between the two rates. 'The Magistrate said he was satisfied that notice had been given and was also satisfied that there had been a breach of. the award on Afay-28. He reserved judgment.