TRADESMEN FROM AUSTRALIA

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22662, 17 March 1939, Page 3

TRADESMEN FROM AUSTRALIA

TERMS OF CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT NO MENTION OF ’ OVERTIME I I - - 1 (PRESS ASSOCIATION 1 TELEGRAM.) I WELLINGTON, March 16. A copy of the agreement which has ■ been signed by building tradesmen . engaged, in Australia for employment on the State housing scheme in New • Zealand was made available by the ' Minister for Housing (the Hon. H. T. i Armstrong) this evening. Mr Armstrong said his chief reason for doing | this was to refute suggestions that these men had been promised over- ! time ranging up to 10 hours a week. There was no mention of overtime in the agreement. The agreement states that in consideration of an advance from the agent of-the New Zealand Government by way of loan or part-loan for passage money from Australia to New Zealand, the recipient undertakes to' repay the loan to the Department of Labour in instalments of 10s weekly. Repayment is to start with the second week’s employment. The repayments are to be made by way of deduction from wages, and by his signature to _ the agreement the recipient of the loan authorises his employer to make such deductions. If any payment is not made, the whole of the unpaid portion of the loan immediately becomes due to the Government, which can take action to recover it in a Court of law. During the first 12 months after his arrival in New Zealand the recipient undertakes to work on housing contracts under the State housing scheme, at the rates of pay prescribed in the relative award or industrial agreement. If there is reason to assume that the recipient of the' loan intends to depart from New Zealand, immediate repayment of the outstanding loan money can be demanded. Minister’s Comment Mr Armstrong said the statement had been made that Mr J. Hodgens, M.P. for Palmerston North, who had been sent by the Government to Australia to obtain the services of skilled building artisans, had promised the men he had engaged that they would be able to obtain anything up to 10 hours of overtime a week over and above the normal working week, “I am quite satisfied that Mr Hodgens said nothing of the sort,” said the Minister. “Certainly a good deal of overtime is worked in the building industry; but there was certainly no promise of overtime to the men engaged in Australia. Every one of them signed the agreement, in which there is no mention of overtime. “I should imagine the reason we are getting men here is to avoid overtime ( as much as possible. We have a .40- . hour week in the building and other } industries, and we certainly do not , want to break down the system of a 40-hour week. We know there are j times just now when it is often neces ( sary and desirable for skilled arti- £ sans to work overtime, but the ultimate j object is to do away with the neces- s sity for it, and not perpetuate it.” i 1 \