SIX DAYS' LEAVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 290, 7 December 1935, Page 10

SIX DAYS' LEAVE.

PUBLIC WORKS MEN.

MR. SEMPLE'S ANNOUNCEMENT.

Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) f' WELLINGTON,-.Fiiday.

As his first official act on assuming the portfolio of Public - Works, Mr. Semple considered the position relating to holiday pay at Christmas for workmen employed by the Public Works Department oa full time, and the relief of unemployment works, including those men who work a 40-liour week on the development and landing grounds.

The new Minister immediately decided to grant all of them six days' leave on full pay at Christmas. Hitherto, the men on these classes of works had received only three holidays on pay at Christmas tithe, but the Minister considered that as a large proportion of the present employees of the Department had been on rationed or No. 5 scheme employment for several years and had only recently started on the full-time basis, they were justly entitled to the concession now granted. Previously, the position had been that unless men on standard works had been employed continuously for two years, they were not entitled to any annual lea\ e on pay, but Mr. Semple's decision means that men with less than two years' service on' standard works will also enjoy the privilege of six days' leave on full pay at Christmas. In fact, every employee of the Department will receive at least six days' leave on full pay, but' men who have been employed continuously for at least two yeais on standard works will receive two weeks' annual leave on pay as formerly. The concession now granted by the Minister will be of considerable benefit to men with short service.