AWARD BREACHES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1938, Page 11

AWARD BREACHES

MINISTER'S REMARKS

OBJECTION RAISED

A remark by the Minister of Labour (the. Hon. H. T. Armstrong) at Christchurch that there were more prosecutions against employers than employees for breaches of awards was the sub-ject-of adverse comipent by Mr. A. W. Nisl^et, employers' advocate, at a sitting of the Conciliation Council at Wellington yesterday, Mr. Nisbet said that anyone conversant with industrial matters knew that there were many breaches of awards by employees, chiefly regarding proper notice in the termination of employment. Where, an award provided' for a week's notice on either side it was very common for wr/.kers to draw their wages on a Thursday or Friday and then fail to put in an appearance the next week. .

The employers had a remedy if they liked to take action, but as in many cases action would be a waste of time they let the matter go by the board. As a result there was no record in Court of these and other minor breaches of awards by employees.

The council was considering the dispute between' the Wellington Laundry Workers', Dyers', and Dry Cleaners'lndustrial Union of Workers and the Wellington Laundry men, Dyers',, and Dry Cleaners' Industrial Uniomof Employers. After an all-day sitting no agreement was reached, and the dispute was referred to the Arbitration Court. Mr. M. J. Reardon presided and Mr. F. Cornwell was employees' advocate.

A partial settlement was reached previous to yesterday, but hours, wages, holidays, term of engagement, proportion of junior workers, some general conditions, travelling allowances, and the term of the; award were still hi dispute.. :.-. , ; ,-. yy, X/ ,-,,. '-.'..-" v;