OVERTIME RATES

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 143, 13 December 1940, Page 9

OVERTIME RATES

SYSTEM CRITICISED

FARMERS' REQUEST

The manner of assessing overtime rates in some industries in New Zealand was recently criticised by the Dominion executive of the New Zealand Farmers' Union and it was decided to urge the Government in the interests of the Dominion war effort to extend working hours at ordinary rates of pay in all State and local body work and industries supplying essential needs of consumers and producers.

It was stated that a worker coming on in the late afternoon in some cases started on the overtime rate immediately after 5 o'clock. Exception was taken also to overtime being paid, regardless of the time lost by the worker during the week. It was stated that a.worker who had absented himself perhaps for several days had to be placed on overtime rates in some industries, regardless of the amount of time he had worked during the week.

It was urged that, if shift work were necessary because of & shortage of labour, it should be introduced, but that there should be no strong differentiation of payment according to the time of day the worker was asked to work his shift.