WORKERS' COMPENSATION BILL

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 320, 6 October 1908, Page 6

WORKERS' COMPENSATION BILL

IMPORTANT ALTERATIONS. | The Labour Bills Committee yesterday ro< ported the Workers' Compensation Bill with amendments to the House of Representatives. ''Worker," undor, a now definition, includes apprentices engaged in manual or clerical work, but not those whoso average weekly earnings exceed five pounds. The sum payablo to partial dependencies on tho death of a worker, instead of being loft to tho discretion of tho Court, is to be three times the- benefits received by them from the deceased during the preceding twelve months, but not to exceed in the aggregate the sum payable under preceding provisions. Where'tho worker's ordinary rate of'pay was not less than 30s. a week, the weekly payment during that incapacity shall not be loss than £1. With respect to casual workers employed as wharf labourers, the average weekly earnings shall be deemed to be not less than a full working week's earnings at tho ordinary rate, though he may not havo worked the full week, and compensation shall bo computed accordingly, but shall not be less than £1 per week. Clause 8 has been altered to read as follows: —"When a worker is, at the timo of the accident, uuder tho age of 21 aud his incapacity, whether total or partial, is permanent, his average weekly earnings shall bo deemed to be not less than £2 per week, and the reduction of his earning-power shall be deemed to be not less than the difference between that sum and the weekly sum which lie will probably bo. able to earn after attaining the age of 21 years." Clause 17 is amended so that proceedings for recovery of compensation, etc., shall be in the Court of Arbitration. Clause 56 has . been struck put, and a new clause inserted providing:— In any case where, on application in the .prescribed manner-to the judge of the Arbitration Court under the Industrial Arbitration Act, the Court, after taking stops to ascertain tho views of the employer and workers, certifies that any of compensation, benefit, or insurance for tho workers, whether or not such scheme includes other employers and their workers, is on the wdiola not less favourable to tho general body of workers ■ and their dependents than the provisions of this Act, the following provisions shall apply:— „ . (a) Tho employer may, until the certificate is revoked, contract with any of those workers that tho provisions of the scheme shall bo substituted for the provisions of this Act; and thereupon 'tho employer shall, as respects tho workers with whom he so contrasts, be liable in accordance with tho scheme in lieu of this Act; but, savo as aforesaid, this Act shall, apply, notwithstanding any contract _to the' contrary made after the coming into operation of the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act, 1900. (b) Tho Court, may give such certificate, to expiro at tho end of a limited period to be specified therein, being not more than five years (c) No scheme shall be so certified which contains an obligation upon tho to join the scheme as a condition of their hiring. (d) If during the currency of the certificate complaint is made to the Court by or on behalf of tho employer or the workers, or..a majority of them, that the provisions of the scheme' are no longer on the whole, so favourable to the employers or to the general body of workers and their dependents as tho provisions of tins Act, or that the provisions of the scheme are being violated, or that the scheme is not being 'fairly administered, or that satisfactory reasons exist for revoking tho certificate, .the Court shall examine into the complaint, and, if satisfied that good cause exists for such complaint, shall, unless the cause of complaint is removed, revoke the certificatu. (e.) When a certificate is revoked or expires, any moneys or securities held for the purpose of the scheme shall bo distributed as may be arranged between the 'employer' and workers, or as may ba determined by the Court in the event of a difference of opinion. (f.) Every decision of the Court under this section shall, in such manner and on such terms as are prescribed, bo subject to review by tho Court of Arbitration, whose decision shall be final. (g.) For tho purposes of this section it shall be the duty of the employer and workers to answer all such inquiries and to furnish all such accounts in regard to tho scheme as may bo made or required by tho Court. Tho second schedule (in regard to ratio of compensation to that for total incapacity) has been materially altered and now reads as follows:— Loss of both eyes, loss of both hands, loss of both feet, loss of a hand and a foot, total and incurable loss of mental powers involving inability to work, total and incurable paralysis of tho limbs or of mental powers: present value at 5 per cent, interest of the full weekly compensation as for total permanent incapacity. Tho total loss of the right arm, or of tho greater part of the arm, SO per cent.; tho total loss'of the loft arm, or of tho greater part of the arm, 75 per cent.; the total loss > of the right hand, or of live fingers of the right hand, or of the lower part of the right arm, 70 per cent.; tho total loss of the same for the left hand and arm, 05 per coiit.; the total loss of a leg, 75 per cent.; the total loss of a foot, or tho lower part of the log, GO per cent.; the total loss of the sight or ono eye, together with the serious diminution of the sight of tho other eye, 75 per cent.; the total loss of hearing, 50 per cent.; the total loss of tho sight of ono eye, 30 per cent.; tho total loss of the thumb of tho' right hand, 30 per cent.; the total loss of tho thumb of tho loft baud, 25 per cent.; tho total loss of the forefinger of the right hand, 20 per cent.; the total loss of the forefinger of the left hand, 15 per cent.; tho total loss of part of the thumb of tho right hand, 15 per cent.; the total loss of tho little finger of tho hand, 12 per cent.; tho total loss of the middle or ring finger of the hand, 8 per cent.; the total loss of a too or a joint of a finger, 5 per ccnt.; complete deafness of one ear, 10 per cent.; in,the case of tho loss of soveral members the reduction of wages to correspond to the sum of tho relative quota of the single reductions, but must not exceed in all 80 per cent..

If yon are confKnplatlng mnormg, fTio ttrst thing you should do is obtain a quotation from J, Kcir,- 8G Jervois Quay. He has had many years' oiperionce in this class of work, and is in a position to pack, store, and remove any description of furniture. Ho also clears goodi through Customs, and dispatches packages and parcels to any address in the .world. Teleohoue No, 1180. CWO *•