HOLIDAY LEAVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1940, Page 13

HOLIDAY LEAVE

FIRE BRIGADESMEN'S AWARD

(Special to the "Evening Post.")

PALMERSTON, September 4.

An interpretation 6f the^ holiday clause' in an award affecting firebrigadesmen in the Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, and Nelson districts (excluding Wellington City) was the issue in an appeal case brought before the Arbitration Court in Palmerston North yesterday. Their award states that each worker, on the completion of six months continuous service, shall be granted 28 days' leave on full pay. The matter was originally taken before Mr. J. A. Gilmour, S.M., delegate of the Arbitration Court, who ruled that the holidays were to be included in the period termed "con- j tinuous service". but the Palmerston j North Fire Board contends that a fire- j brigadesman should be called upon; actually to work for six months before being entitled to the leave. Taking the case to be an absurdity, Mr. C. V. Day, who appeared for the Fire Board, stated that were a man entitled to six months' leave after six months continuous service, the effect would be that he would work six months and then never have to work again for on j his return from his holidays, if they were to count as continuous service, he would be entitled to another six months' holiday. Mr. L. Glover, who appeared for the workers, contended that the holidays came within the six months and said that the Palmerston North Fire Board was the only one from Bluff to Whangarei out of step. All the other boards gave their men holidays within the six months, or 56 days off each year. Decision was reserved.