AVOIDING BASIC WAGE

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22120, 16 June 1937, Page 10

AVOIDING BASIC WAGE

OLDER EMPLOYEES DISMISSED MEANS OF DEFEATING LABOUR LAWS MINISTER QUOTES AUCKLAND CASE IXHE PRESS Special Service.l AUCKLAND, June 15. Complaints that employers in Auckland are dismissing female employees to replace them with younger girls, who do' not have to be paid the basic wage, were repeated by the Minister for Internal Affairs (the Hon. W. E. Parry) during his reply to a deputation from the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. The Minister said it was apparently the practice of the firms concerned to discharge the girls with good references, or "certificates of service," as they were called; but the fact remained that they used dubious methods in dispensing with the services of these employees. A typical case concerned a girl aged 21 years. She had been employed in the lace department of a city store, and when she reached 21 she was transferred to the millinery showroom. Her service in the lace I department had admittedly been excellent, but she was replaced there by a younger girl. In the millinery department she' had to gain experience of a new type of work, and the firm soon gave hints of her lack of knowledge and efficiency. Finally her employment ceased. The "certificate of service" said she was "resigning in order to remain at home for a short time." "It has been represented to me," Mr Parry continued, "that the method used by the firm in this case is its usual way of defeating the aims of the labour legislation passed by Parliament last year. The complaints which we have received along these lines will be investigated. If the facts are correct, I can hardly credit that reputable firms could be so careless of their reputations. If cases of this sort reach your society the Government would be glad to receive reports on them."