HOLIDAY PAY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 5, 6 July 1910, Page 8

HOLIDAY PAY.

THE PRINCE OF WALES PUZZLE. A RULING AGAINST EMPLOYERS. When King George ascended the throne, the -old Prince of Wales' Birthday was automatically promoted, and temporarily there was no Prince of Wales' Birthday on the calendar. It was not expected by some employers that 'the Heir Apparent would be constituted Prince till after his birthday (23rd June), and the result was that though certain awards specified a holiday for that festival, the men went to work as usual. However, the Princedom was announced in London on 22nd June, and the news reached New Zealand on the 23rd. At once there was a controversy about the legal position of employers who had not observed a holiday. Secretaries of unions wrote to the Labour Department, and replies are being sent to the effect that in the opinion of the Crown Law Office, there is no constitutional difficulty in connection with the matter. Immediately the Duke of Cornwall was made Prince of Wales in London, he became, automatically, Prince of Wales throughout the Empire. Therefor 23rd June in New Zealand was Prince of Wales' Birthday. Hence employers have the liability of paying overtime rates, in accordance with awards for work done on the 23rd. Many awards take no account of Prince of Wales' Birthday, but there are still many thousands of men whose agreements or awards stipulate for a> holiday in honour of 'that day. Shop trades, the building trades, most of the mechanical unions, and many other unions in which the wage is weekly, have the Prince of Wales' Birthday holiday. A good number of employers throughout New Zealand allotted a holiday on the 23rd, and a large number did not. It is roughly estimated that the holiday pay will be in the vicinity of £40,000. Last night at a meeting of the Wellington Grocers' Union this question was raised. Several speakers made it clear that the unionists were not actuated by any vindictive spirit, but there was the law to be considered. The following motion was passed : — "That the union should approach the master grocers with a view to having 9th November (the late King's birthday) proclaimed a holiday this year in lieu of Prince of Wales' Birthday, which was not observed, provided that the Labour Department is advised by the legal authorities that grocers who worked on 23rd June are entitled to holiday rates for the work done." An amendment, recommending that no action should bo taken, was lost. It received practically no support.