CLERKS’ AWARD

Evening Star, Issue 22596, 13 March 1937, Page 13

CLERKS’ AWARD

ARBITRATION COURT FINOIN6S THE NEW WAGES SCALE LAW AND ACCOUNTANCY CLERKS EXCLUDED The minimum scale of wages payable, holidays, overtime, and general conditions of working have been set by the Otago clerical workers’ award, which has been made by the Arbitration Court and was released yesterday. An important feature of the award is the exclusion of legal practitioners and accountants from the list of parties. WAGES. The award provides for the following scale of wages;— —Males. Under 16: First year, first half 13s, second half £1; second year, first halt £1 ss, second half £1 10s; third year, first half £1 15s. second half £2: fourth year, first half £2 ss, second half £2 12s 6d; fifth year, first halt £3, second half £3 7s 6d; sixth year £3 16s; seventh year £4 ss; year, £4 15s; ninth year, £5 os. Sixteen to 17: First year, £l, £1 ss, second year, £1 10s, £1 Im ; third year, £2, £2 ss; fourth year, £2 12s 6d, £3 , fifth year, £3 7s 6d, £3 16s; sixth year, £4 ss; seventh year, £4 15s, eighth year, £5 ss. _ Seventeen to 18: First year, £1 os, £1 10s; second year, £1 15s, £-; third year. £2 ss, £2 12s 6d; fourthyear, £3 7s 6d; fifth year, £3 16s; sixth year, £4 ss; year, £4 los; eighth year, £5 ss. Eighteen to 19: h irst year, £1 1-s 6d, £1 17s 6d; second year, £2 _s 6d, £2 10s; third year. £2_l<s 6d, £3 ss; fourth year, £3 15s; fifth year, £4 5s , sixth year, £4 10s; seventh year, £4 15s; eighth year, £5 ss. Nineteen to 20: First yeai, £2, -- 7s 6d; second year, £2 lis 6d, £J 7s 6d ; tbird year, £3 16s ; fourth year, £4; fifth year, £4 ss; sixth year, £I 10s; seventh year, £4 15s; eighth year, £(? ss. Twenty to 21: First year, £3 los, £3 ss; second year, £3 I6s; third jeer, £4; idurth year, £4 ss; fifth year, £4 10s; sixth year, £4 15s; seventh jtar, £5 os, —Females. — Under 17 : First year, 15s, 19s ; second year, £1 3s, £1 7s; third year, £1 11s, £1 15s; fourth year, £2; fifth year, £2 ss; sixth year, £2 10s; seventh year, £2 15s. -10 r>i Seventeen to 18: First year, 18s. £1 2s; second year, £1 6s, £1 10s; third year,' £1 14s, £2; fourth year, £2 ss; fifth year, £2 10s; sixth year, £2 15s Eighteen to 19: First year, £1 Is, £1 ss; second year, £1 9s, £1 13s; third year, £1 17s, £2; fourth year, £2_ss, fifth year, £2 10s; sixth year, £3 los Nineteen to 20; First year, £ 1 4s, £1 8s; second year, £1 1-s; & » third year, £2, £2 3s; fourth year, £2 6s; fifth year, £2 10s; sixth year, to 21: F mst year, £l'-7s, £i 11s; second year, £1 16s, £2; third year, £2 3s, £2 6s; fourth year, ±-3 10s; fifth year, £2 15s. hours of work. Generally speaking, the hours cf work of a clerical worker shall be those of the establishment in which he is employed. Where the business or the branch of a business in winch a clerical worker is substantially employed is covered by an award or industrial agreement, the hours of such worker shall be those fixed by such award or industrial agreement. Where the hours of work of such business or branch of a business are not covered by an award or industrial agreement, but are fixed by the Shops and Offices Act or the Factories Act, or by order of the court, such hours shall constitute the hours of work of such clerical workers. In cases not coming within either of the two previous clauses, the hours of work of a clerical worker shall be those normally worked in the industry in which ho is employed, but not exceeding 40 per week. It shall be competent for an employer to fix the hours of clerical workers as between 8 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., provided not more than eight hours (to be worked continuously with usual meal interval) are worked in any one day. OVERTIME. In establishments where it is permitted by the Shops and Offices Act, 1921-22, and its amendments, to work assistants on ono day of the week until 9 p.m., all time worked in excess ot eight hours on the first four days or the week and 11 hours on ono daj ot the week, or after the 44 hours have been worked, shall be considered overtime and paid for at time and a-half rates, with a minimum payment of Is 6d per hour. In establishments which, under the Shops and Offices Act, 1921-22, and its amendments, arc required to be closed at 5 p.m. on five working days of the week and 12 noon on the day of the statutory half-holiday, any time worked in excess of eight hours on the first five working days shall be paid for at time and a-half rates, with a minimum payment of Is 6d per hour. In the case of workers employed under the provisions of the Factories Act, 1921-22, and its amendments, any time worked in excess of eight (8) hours in any one day shall be paid for at time and a-half rates, with a minimum payment of Is 6d per hour. All work done up to and including half an hour shall be deemed half an hour for the purpose of computing overtime payable, and all work done for any period exceeding half an hour and up to one hour shall count ns one hour in the computation of overtime. All workers shall, when required to work overtime, be paid Is 6d for a meal except those who reside within one mile of the factory in which they are employed. No worker shall be for a longer period than five hours without an interval for a meal. CASUAL EMPLOYEES. Any person engaged for less than one week shall be termed a casual worker. Every casual worker shall be paid 20 per cent, pro rata above the weekly rate. PROPORTION OF JUNIORS. The proportion of juniors shall not exceed two to each senior; the employer shall, for the purpose of proportion, be classed as a senior. A senior is a worker in receipt of not less than 105 s per week in the case of males, and 55s per week in the case of females. No employee coming within the scope of this award shall have his wages reduced. No employee whose wage would be increased in consequence of this award, or any other employee, shall bo discharged in consequence of this award in order that his or her work may be done by a lower-paid employee. ’

HOLIDAYS. Each employee shall, in addition to the holidays mentioned in the following clause, be entitled to an annual holiday of one week on full pay on completion of each year of continuous service. or a proportionate holiday on completion of not less than six continuous service if the employment is determined before the completion of the year. The holidays prescribed in the Shops and Offices Act, 1921-22, and its amendments, or the Factories Act, 1921-22, and its amendments, as the case may be, with the addition of Anniversary Day or some other day in lien thereof, shall be the holidays to be observed for the purpose of this award. Employers shall give as much notice as practicable to their employees of the date of tho annual holiday. NEWSPAPER OFFICES. The hours of work in newspaper offices shall be 40 per week, and shall not exceed eight hours ou any day. Workers may be required to work on any holiday provided for herein without extra payment, provided that for each holiday so worked one day shall be added to the annual holiday. CONDITIONS FOR EMPLOYEES. Each employer shall, where practicable, permit his employees to have lunch during the lunch interval, on the premises. In offices in which not less than six females are employed reasonable dining accommodation shall be provided if required; also a cloak rooin or enclosure in which reasonable privacy is secured for dressing. There shall also be provided, where practicable, a room with suitable couch accommodation for cases of temporary indisposition; but where it is impracticable to set a room apart for that purpose, it shall be sufficient if a couch or couches are provided in a portion of the cloak room, screened off from the place where clothing is hung. APPLICATION OF AWARD. The award shall not apply to workers who are in receipt of not less than £350 per year. TERM OF AWARD. The award, in so far as it relates to wages, shall be deemed to have come into force on February 1, 1937, and shall continue in force until February 1, 1938. EXCLUSION OF LAW AND ACCOUNTANCY CLERKS. In its memorandum, the court states: — Tho court has settled the clauses relating to holidays, newspaper offices, and the scope of the award. In other respects the award embodies the recommendations arrived lit by the assessors in Council. V. " iection to their inclusion in the list of parties to this award was made by three groups of employers—legal practitioners, accountants, and stock and station agents. In the case of_ legal practitioners and of accountants, it was shown that each of these classes _of workers has been granted registration of an industrial union under the Act. They are therefore entitled to take their own proceedings against their employers to secure an award or industrial agreement; .in fact, an agreement in each case has been almost completed. The court has therefore deleted the names of legal'practitioners and of accountants from the, list of parties. The position of the third group, stock and station agents, appears to be different. It is contended on their behalf that they are working under a registered industrial agreement made between these employers and the Stock and Station Agents’ Employees’ Trade Union. Before deleting the names of these employers from the list of parties the court must be satisfied that the industrial agreement referred to is valid. Subsection (2) of section 18 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 1930, reads as follows:—“ In every industrial agreement made after the passing of this Act there shall be or be deemed to be included therein a provision to the effect that, while the industrial agreement continues in force, it shall not be lawful for any employer _ bound thereby to employ or to continue to employ in the industry to which tho agreement relates any adult person who is not for the timo_ being a member of an industrial union of workers bound by that agreement, or who is not for the time being a member of a trade union which was registered as such before the first day of May, 1936, and which is bound by that agreement.” It is clear from this subsection that an industrial agreement made between employers and a trade union after June 8, 1936 (the date the section quoted came into force) must be deemed to contain a provision preventing an employer from employing a worker who is not a member of a trade union which was registered as such before May 1, 1936, or who is not a member of an industrial union bound by the agreement. The agreement in question was made on October 1, and therefore must be deemed to contain the provision as to membership of a union. The trade union which is party to the agreement was not, however" registered until September 2, 1936, and there is no industrial union hound by tho agreement. The industrial agreement, therefore, is unworkable, for the employers may employ only such workers as are members of a trade union which was registered before May 1, 1936, and there is no such union in existence. The names of the stock and station agents have accordingly been included in the list of parties to this award.