QUESTION OF OVERTIME.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17609, 11 November 1922, Page 2

QUESTION OF OVERTIME.

A SEVENTH DAY ADVEKTIST. . A peculiar position under labour legislation, vitas ventilated at the Auckland Magistrate's Court this week, before Mr E. C. Cutton, S.M. A claim for a penalty of £lO was laid by Mr J. Hollows, Inspector of Awards, again:-,t E.: Savers, on tie/ground that he had coramit'led a breach of the machinists award by failing to pay overtime to an apprentice tor working after the hour of 5.3J p.m. Mr Ho.luws said the circmu-:: stances were pecuniar. The award pror vided for a 40-hour week. Tluo bo.>k& showed this ;;ppr<entice had worked overtime without- receiving the award! rates. Mr layers was very frank when seen regarding the matter. Tiie book showed that though the lr.d hud worked 3$ to <i hours' overtime, yet the average for the week was not 45 hours. Tiie expian.ition was that the apprentice was.a' Seventh Day Adventist, and could not work on Saturday. It was arranged that the apprentice should make up. his time on the other five days of the week, but tlure was no provision in tiie award for that to be done. Mr It. E. Taylor, for the defendant, said his client was placed "in a peculiar position. Last week, for instance, the apprentice only worked 33i hours. His e.ient had to pay for the full 45-hour week "all the same. Mr Taylor submitted that the breach was only a technical one. It Wiis also a hard case for the apprentice, because if these arrangements were illegal, it would be hard for » lad with those religious views to get employment. Mr Cuttan said his duty was to see that no breach of rward w;is committed. A penalty of 20s was imposed.