HOLIDAYS AT EASTER

Press, Volume C, Issue 29712, 4 January 1962, Page 11

HOLIDAYS AT EASTER

Six-day Break For Some

With the Easter holidays close to Anzac Day this year, some businesses have prepared for a six-day break. Good Friday this year falls on April 20, Easter Monday on April 23. Then there is one day which would normally be a working day, and then Anzac Day. Some employers, to avoid closing their factories for the four days from April 20 to April 23, opening on April 24, and closing again for Anzac Day on April 25, have asked their employees to return a day earlier from the Christmas and New Year holidays and use the extra day to have a six-day break at Easter. Mr H. F. Butland, secretary of the Canterbury Employers’ Federation, said last evening that the question of the long break at Easter had been discussed informally by members of the federation, but no definite action had been decided on. But it was certain that the matter would be discussed fully this month. He said that because of the multiplicity of awards governing the manufacturing and retailing businesses he could not say whether employers who had asked their workers to return a day early after Christmas were reducing the amount of the Christmas holidays or were acting within the award. The president of the Canterbury Meat Retailers' Association (Mr B. R. Shackel) said last evening that the association had not discussed the holiday situation at Easter but it was almost certain that butchers would be open on Tuesday, April 24. If they did not, there would be no fresh meat for six days, which would be most unsatisfactory for the public.