TEST PROSECUTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 146, 22 June 1937, Page 14

TEST PROSECUTION.

RATES FOR PIECEWORK.

INTERPRETATION OF AWARD. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) DINE DIN. Monday. A case of considerable interest td employers and pieceworkers throughout the Dominion was heard bv Mr J R Bartholomew. S.M., to-day". The inspector of awards proceeded against Ross and Glendming. claiming that the defendants failed to pay the minimum prescribed, the contention bein» that pieceworkers should have their rates increased by 12i per cent to compensate tor working an hour reduction to 40 hours.

The inspector said that this was a test case which affected the interpretaV« nof a " awarf l* in force in September, . T' le whole case rested on the interpretation of the words "Ordinary rate weekly wages." It was contended bv the Department that to compensate lor reduced hours the basis of pieceworkers' remuneration should have been increased by 4o over 40.

Mr. Paterson. for the comoanv. claimed that piecework was definitely and delilterately not provided for in the award. Pieceworkers were under no contract to work from Monday to Friday at any stated hour*. Thev did not work 4.) hours weekly previously. no r were they working 40 now. It would appear that the workers were able to earn more now than under the 45-hour week but to arrive at the ordinary weekly wage the wages would have to be averased. and lie defied the Department to point to any authority which involved averaging wages over an unspecified period.

The magistrate reserved hi? decision.