MINIMUM WAGE

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1937, Page 5

MINIMUM WAGE

A TEST CASE

Magistrate Decides for

Employer

(Per Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., May 3.

Reserved judgment in a case of importance under the Labour laws was given by Mr. Stout, S.M. the case being a test, brought by the- Department of Labour against Manawatu Knitting Mills, Limited. It was submitted for the defence, at the hearing, that if the Department’s contention were upheld, the industry would be called upon to bear an additional burden of costs never content, plated. Defendants were charged with employing a person with over three years’ factory experience, for the week ended January 15, and failing to pay not less than £2. It was claimed fhi* was a breach of the Factories Act, as amended in 1936. The facts were not in dispute. The employee was paid £2 15s weekly, and lost one day’s employment through no fault of hers, but on the instruction of her employers, on account of the slackness of work in her department. As a result she had nine shil. lings, representing one day’s wages deducted, bringing the wages for that week down to 36 shillings.

The Department, claimed that See. tion 32 of the Act made it penal to reduce the weekly wage below £2. The Magistrate stated that no auth. ority was quoted for this proposition, but it was contended it is the meaning of the Section. He held the wording of the Section is against such construction, for the concluding words of subsection A. contemplate reductions, by limiting reductions from wages of boys and women under IS years, to the time lost through workers’ illness or default, or on account of the temporary closing of the factory for cleaning or repairing machinery. “I thing all the section does is to fix the minimum rate of pay for a full week’s work. This is a guide to the employers, or the Arbitration Courtr in fixing wages, in an industry, on the analogy of the basic wage fixed by the Arbitration Court. The provision does not mean that a worker is entitled fa the minimum wage irrespective of the woik done by such worker, but the the worker is to be paid for work done, at not less than the rates fixed by the (Section. This view is supported by Section 14 of the Amending Act, 193fi, providing for payment for certain holidays. The charge, therefore, must be dismissed,” added the Magis. trate.

PAY FOR ANZAC DAY.

AUCKLAND, May 3.

According to advice received' front the Labour Department by the Cloth, ing Trades Federation, treble pay. must be paid for work performed last Monday by female employees in cloth, ing factories, who are covered by awards providing that where Anzae Day falls on a Sunday a holiday shall bo observed on Monday.

The names of about ten firms who have withheld payment for the holiday work despite the earlier ruling, have been forwarded to the Depart, ment by Miss A. Gossey, secretary of rhe Auckland Clothing Trade Em. ployees’ Union.