REMAINED OPEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 190, 12 August 1937, Page 24

REMAINED OPEN.

INSURANCE OFFICES.

FIRST TIME FOR YEARS.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday. For the first time for many years the- insurance office* in Christchurch remained open yesterday, the day of the Grand National Steeplechase, although no complaint has yet been made to the Lahour Department, members of the Insurance Workers* Union are talking of the possibility of a test case being taken. They allege that the tailure of. the employers to close the offices was a breach of the award recently made by the workers. About 200 employees in the city were affected. The provision in the award to which the workers refer provides that "privileges and conditions" existing before the award came into force should not be discontinued, and the * workers class National Week holidays under that heading.

Some years ago insurance offices in the city were open for only two or three half-days in the week, and about three years ago the holidays were reduced to the Tuesday and a half-day on Thursday. The decision to abolish the holidays completely this year was made by the Canterbury Fire and Accident Underwriters' Association, and Air. J. A. Davis, chairman of the association, declared that the decision in no way connected with the hours clause of the award. The granting of holidays in this week each year was decided annually, he said, and consequently could not be classed as an established privilege. In -the meantime the employees are still wondering whether they should ask the Labour Department to "take a test case. They fear that on this precedent they will lose their holidays in Carnival Week in November.