WET WEATHER PAY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22464, 27 July 1938, Page 17

WET WEATHER PAY

«0 TBB BOITOR O W THY PYCSY. Sir, —As a member of a small gang of men working an eight-weekly allocation of work on the railway allotted by the Labour Bureau and ail wages paid by the Unemployment Board, I wish to ask through the columns of your paper why we have to work in all weathers instead of receiving wet weather pay as other rotational workers receive. Our delegate has interviewed the officials, both at the Labour Bureau and Railway District Engineer’s office, about this question, but received the same answer at both places, “It has nothing to do with us.” Our pay day, which is fortnightly and always a week behind, has been so erratic that our - wives have not the slightest idea how much they will receive. Ducing the last three weeks we have received ’ one week’s pay, which amounted to the large sum of £3 14s. We are due for another pay next week, which, if the weather holds good, may amount to £7 or £B. This will amount roughly to £ll to feed and clothe the family for six weeks, and if the Labour Government wants a budget to balance we should like it to have a go at this one. —Yours, etc.. RELIEF WORKER.

July 22, 1938. [Commenting on this letter, the District Employment Officer (Mr W. Ross) said: “Regarding the workers employed under scheme 13 with the Railway Department, they have been advised by the Railway Department and by this office that they are employed under the terms of the Public Works Agreement. In the case of other workers quoted, they are employed by local bodies, where the award makes provision for payment for time lost on account of wet weather.’’]