WORK DURING HOLIDAYS

Evening Star, Issue 22527, 21 December 1936, Page 8

WORK DURING HOLIDAYS

HARBOUR STAFF'S OBJECTION BOARD'S GOOD INTENTIONS UNACCEPTABLE Its decision to resume all normal harbour works on the days intervening between the statutory holidays given at Christmas and New Year has placed the Otago Harbour Board on the horns of a dilemma. The decision has caused displeasure among a section of the staff, who were not informed until Friday of the change of policy. For many years the works have been suspended during the holidays, only certain sections of the permanent employees being paid. The decision was made at a late stage—too late for those who had made holiday arrangements and reservations —following a resolution refusing the request of the Otago General Labourers’ Union that the workers should be paid for the days other than statutory holidays. The board then resolved that in fairness it should give the men work if work were ottering. , While some employees are willing to abide by the decision, a majority section has forwarded to the engineer a petition asking that there should be no work between the holidays. The petition has been handed to the deputy chairman (Mr W. Begg), and it was reported that a meeting of the board, in committee, was to be held late this afternoon to consider the latest development. . ...» It must be explained that the_ board s resolution was made in the spirit of assisting the majority of its workers, which it did not desire to see losing wages when labour was offering and work was available. However, the development suggests that the views of the workers themselves were not obtained before the decision was reached by the board.