OVERTIME PAY FOR MINERS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23944, 11 May 1943, Page 4

OVERTIME PAY FOR MINERS

WORK ON IDLE SATURDAYS (P A.) AUCKLAND, May 10. ) Miners in the Waikato collieries who work extra days beyond the normal 11 shifts a fortnight are in future to be paid at overtime rates of time and a half for such work. Announcing this, the Minister of Mines (the Hon. P. C. Webb) said that this arrangement became operative as from last week-end, when miners in the Huntly district worked on their customary idle Saturday. The miners were asked to work extra time by giving up their idle Saturday once a fortnight in order to increase coal production, said Mr Webb. “I do not think it would be fair to expect them to work overtime at ordinary rates while other workers re.ceived overtime payment for the additional hours worked,” he added. “Last winter the miners agreed to work on their idle Saturdays as part of the war effort, but when the question of working similarly this coming winter was disscussed the question of overtime payment was raised. “The suggestion of payment at overtime rates for work on idle Saturdays or oilier days when work is not normally carried on has been agreed to by the Coal Council and the Stabilisation Commission.” BACK SATURDAY WORK IN COAL MINES EXTRA COST TO BE MET BY SUBSIDY Overtime rates will be paid to employees of Grey district coal mines who will be working the “back” Saturdays during the winter months. In the case of miners on contract, the payment will be half the minimum wage of 26s 6d, in addition to their actual earnings on the day, and in the case of truckers on contract, half the minimum of 245, plus the actual earnings.

When the “back” Saturdays . have been worked in the past,at the request of the Mining Controller, overtime rates have not been paid. In the case of shiftmen and other daily rate men, the payment will be at the rate of time and a half, but the position in regard to men such as underviewers and deputies, who are paid by the week, has not been clarified.

Decisions to work the "back” Saturday were reached at meetings of the State. Grey Valley, Wallsend, and Blackball Unions, as from next Saturday. Co-operative mines are likewise expected to fall in with the request, and similar conditions will apply at these mines. The extra cost will be met by Government subsidy, and it is stated that there will be no increase in the cost of coal to the consumer.