EMPLOYEES' OBLIGATIONS MUST GIVE NOTICE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 76, 31 March 1914, Page 8

EMPLOYEES' OBLIGATIONS MUST GIVE NOTICE.

An application for the enforcement of the Wellington Drivers' Award was brought on in the Magistrate's Court today, before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M. The Inspector of Awards, Mr. R. T. Bailey, proceeded against R. Smith, driver,' 'with an application for the recovery of a penalty of £5 for a- breach of the award in leaving his employment without giving notice. Mr. E. J. Fitzgibbon represented the defendant. Mr. Bailey said that the defendant Smith was in the employ of J. O'Brien and Co., carrying agents. The defendant worked for the firm up to Saturday, the Bth November. On that day he took his horse to the stable, but did not acquaint Mr. O'Brien with the fact that he was not going to resume work on the Monday. On Monday he did not turn up,' and some little time afterwards the matter was reported to the Department. When seen by him (Mr. Bailey) the defendant pleaded illness, but, as a mat' ter of fact, his condition was not such as would prevent him from obtaining permission to leave ' work from his employers or giving them the requisite notice, i J. O'Brien, member of J. O'Brien and Co., gave evidence on the lines outlined. The defendant, in his evidence, said that when in the employ of O'Brien and Co. he injured his throat while shifting a piano. He put in Court a doctor's certificate showing that he was under iinedical attention from tho 29th September till the 13th December, and that on the 28th November he was operated on.' When he left O'Brien and Co.'s service he was 'not fit to work. He did not obtain work again until January: To Mr. Bailey : He made no endeavours to tell O'Brien that he could not go to work. He did not think it was necessary to give notice, as on the 11th all the other men went out on strike. He 'was not one of the strikers. In imposing a penalty of 10s, his Worship said that employees must understand that it was obligatory on their part to give notice of their resignation, just as much as it was enjoined on the employers to give notice in dispensing with, an employee.