CASUAL WORK

Grey River Argus, 19 October 1936, Page 4

CASUAL WORK

NOT FOR PUBLIC WORKS EMPLOYEES. The rule that workers on the fiveday week shall not engage on Saturday in other jobs for wages was discussed at Saturday’s meeting by the Greymouth section of the N.Z. Workers’ Union. Satisfaction was expressed at the action of a member who has relinquished the job of gatekeeper at race meetings which he had for some years prior to securing regular employment. He stated he wished to abide by the new rule, and added that even though it might inconvenience the club for which he had worked, he had been for some years out of regular work and did not now wish to jeopardise his regular employment. It was pointed out that men employed on public works wore on the 40-hour five-day week, their paid holidays including Labour Day and any of them accepting casual work on that day would be drawing wages from two sources, and possibly excluding from a job an unemployed man who only secured three days’ work in the week. Even if other employed unionists should on that or any other day take casual jobs which men now I on public works had in the past filled, the latter could not continue to till them, which seemed to them unfair. The opinion was expressed that no unionist in regular employment should do what the Government forbade public works employees to do, but should leave these casual jobs for unemployed men in accordance with the Government’s endeavour to spread employment as widely as possible, especially among the many thousands who during tne past six years have had a hard time on the dole. It was contended that all unionists should observe the principle of one-man-one-job. and the assurance was voiced that every public works employee would set in this matter an example for other unionists,