CALCULATION OF WAGES

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29278, 9 August 1960, Page 14

CALCULATION OF WAGES

Compensation Court Ruling

Travelling time payments could be taken into account as part of a carpenter’s earnings, but tool allowance was a special expense which should not be taken into account when calculating the worker’s earnings, according to a ruling released by Judge Dalglish, of the Compensation Court. The Judge was -.sked to give a ruling on whether payments of travelling time and tool allowance should be taken into account, at a hearing on Juno 16, when he was requested to calculate the weekly earnings of Douglas Peck, a carpenter (Mr B. McClelland), who at the time of an accident was employed by Reg. Muirson, Ltd., builders (Mr R. P. Thompson).

Mr McClelland submitted that as there was no inquiry as to the expenditure of the moneys by' the workers and as the payment was made regardless of whether or not the tools were used, the tool allowance should be regarded as part of the worker’s earnings. “I was unable to accept this argument," said Judge Dalglish in his reserved judgment. “Th estate of tool allowance under the award is varied from time to time and the cost of providing adequate kits of tools and maintaining them is taken into account when the rate is varied.

“As travelling time allowance is a payment in respect of time occupied in travelling to work, and is the same whatever means of conveyance are used and even ■if the conveyance is provided by the employer, it must, in my view, be regarded as part of the worker’s earnings and not as a sum paid to cover special expenses imposed on the worker by the nature of his employment,” Judge Dalglish said.