INTERPRETATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 86, 10 April 1924, Page 6

INTERPRETATIONS

IN ARBITRATION AWARDS.

A list of interpretations of awards was issued by tho Arbitration Court. The first concerned the seamen's and firemen's award in the Northern, Wellington, Otago, and Southland districts. The question submitted concerned the hours of seamen acting as night watchmen, in port. The question was as to whether when the full eight hours off is ] not'given in-compensation, the balance (■i time off due can be paid for at Is 6rl per hour, or wither the full amount of 14s is payable in addition to tho .time allowed off. The answer delivered by the Court was that the nightwatchman must get either eight working hours off or a'cash payment, of 14s. The.payment of Is 6d per hour' related only to day watchmen. • • In the same award a question had been submitted to the Court as follows; —"The Union Steam Ship Company converted s.s. Maori from coal- burning to oil burning, and reduced the manning of the stokehold from 27 to 10. Should the company have notified the union-in-ac-cordance with clause 37?" The Court replied that clause 37 did not apply to the case cited. The Court would, however, consider the advisability of making special provision for such cases in the new award shortly to.be issued. SHEARERS' AWARD. In the Wellington industrial district shearers and shed hands' award the following question was submitted :—"When <53 hours 20 minutes' work had been completed before noon on Saturday, is work to cease immediately of such hours or at noon?" In answering the question, his Honour said the union contended that work may cease on Saturday immediately " on" 48 hours '20 minutes being completed for tho week. The majority oi the Court was unable to agree with this' contention. The purpose of clause 2. which was being interpreted, was all through to fix the commencing and finishing hours of work. It was silent as lo the number of hours to be worked between those limits. .The .regulationhour for ceasing work on Saturday was 4 p.m.,. but the clause provided an exception, so that in the case wlien 48 hours and 20 minutes' work has been completed before noon, work might be stopped then. " Then " meant at. the last, mentioned hour, .that was noon, as opposed to 4 p.m. . „ ' '