DRIVERS’ AWARD

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 42, 13 November 1941, Page 3

DRIVERS’ AWARD

Interpretation Of Clause Sought

The Court of Arbitration in Wellington yesterday heard an application by the Inspector of Awards for an interpretation of clause 10 (a) of the New Zea-' land Motor and Hoi-fte Drivers’ Award. The clause provides that a worker required to work on a Sunday, Anzac Day, Christinas Day, or Good Friday shall be allowed an extra day’s holiday for each day so worked or an extra day’s pay. The Court comprised Mr. Justice 'Tyndall and .Messrs W. Cecil Prime (employers’ representative) and A. L. Monteith (employees’ representative). Mr. F. C. Allenby, secretary of the Wellington Road Transtwrt and Motor and Horse Drivers’ and Their Assistants’ Industrial Union of Workers, submitted that in the case stated the driver should be paid as follows:—(1) A full fortnight's wages at the prescribed weekly rates; (2) two hours’ overtime at the prescribed rate for time worked in excess of 88 hours; (3) an extra day’s pay for work performed on Sundays. The employers. said Mr. Allerby, contended that they were meeting the position by giving a eJcar 48 hours off duty instead of 24 hours as stipulated in the award. The effect of this was that the driver got no compensation at all for the work performed on the days mentioned, as he was called on to work the full weekly hours on five days instead of six. Under this the driver received nothing extra, and the employer paid or gave nothing extra. The award provided for an extra days holiday, not the equivalent time off. and for an extra day's pay. not payment at an hourly rate for the time worked. He submitted that where Sunday work was compensated for by giving an extra day s holiday, the fortnightly working hours should be reduced by seven hours, 20 minutes, in addition to the driver receiving an extra calendar day off duty, where one Sunday was included in the fortnight's work; and by 14 hours 40 minutes in addition to an extra two calendar dars off duty, whore two Sundays were included in the fortnights work. After Mr. H. J. Bishop had stated the case for the employers, the Court reserved its decision.