ANNUAL HOLIDAYS

Grey River Argus, 16 March 1944, Page 4

ANNUAL HOLIDAYS

ON FULL PAY Governments Bill WELLINGTON', March 15In the House to-night there was introduced by . - message the Arinual -Biu, S id M was introduced, faTCAhe 6 provisionfor P« days represented a policy long ad cated by the National Party. Since it had Peen a plank of th l eir . Pf+inn they welcomed this legislation, which was, in fact, overdue. He said he hoped that there be something in the Bill rewarding workers who kept, good time. Otherwise, he said, absentees, or strikers, might be treated the same as conscientious workers. ~ ~ Hon. p. C. Webb said Mr Holland s remarks gave a delightful. turn to an important debate. It was refreshing, he said, to know that the Opposition were in accord with him legislation passed in Britain and on this Bill, which was similar to elsewhere. The Government would have introduced it long ago, but for the war conditions. However, it had been shown that the lack of _ rest was ' militating against efficiency. Many people were working 50 or 60 or more- hours weekly, and everyone would agree that, a fortnight’s holiday was not too much under . the strenuous conditions now obtaining. Mr W. J. Polson (Nat,, Stratford) asked about the holidays for seasonal workers, such as the freezing workers. Would their holidays have to come at Christmas? M? Webb said that provision for holidays in such categories would be made by regulation. Obviously, some industries could not give holidays at certain holiday periods. The Bill was read the first time. Moving the second reading of the Bill, Mr Webb said that if. must be obvious to all who had visited the workshops and factories of the country that there were large numbers of men and women, many of them getting old, working for long hours at the present time. Unfortunately the great bulk of the.people who worked the hardest enjoyed the least benefit of holidays with pay. . This Bill merely extended the provisions of paid holidays to them .all. The debate was adjourned, the House rising at 10.30 until 2.30 tomorrow, when" 'the debate will be resumed. TO START ON AUGUST 1. THE MEASURE EXPLAINED. P.A. WELLINGTON, March 15. The Holidays With Pay Bill is to come,, into operation on August 1, but the qualifying period for the annual holiday may date back to noj more than 12 months before that date. The object of postponing the, date of its coming into operation is to, allow sufficient time after the passing of the measure to enable the necessary regulations and holiday cards to be issued. On the completion of each year of ..service with an employer, every worker is to be entitled to an annual holiday of two weeks on- ordinary pay, and i‘.ihis holiday is to be given within six months, after it becomes due. If a worker’s employment is terminated after he has become rmviUed. to annual holiday, but before he has taken it, the employer is required to pay the worker: the holiday pay due. If a special holiday for which the worker is entitled to payment, occurs during any period of annual holiday, the period of annual holiday is to be increased by one day accordingly. The Bill is to covei’ all of the workers, including domestic servants, who are employed for not less than one week. If a worker is employed for less than one year, but for three months or more, the employer, on the termination of employment, is to pay the worker an amount equivalent to one twenty-fifth of his ordinary P a Y for the period of employment. If the employment is for less than three months, but not less than one week, the employer has to affix to the worker’s holiday car’d ordinary postage oi' revenue stamps to the yaluq of one twenty-fifth of the ordinary pay, less tax. It is provided that a holiday card inay be surrendered after the expiration of one year from the commencement of the earliest; period of employment in respect of which stamps are affixed to the card, when the person surrendering the card may receive, at any Money Order Office or other approved place, the total value of the stamps affixed. The Bill does not apply h© workers who already are entitled to annual holidays or leave more favourable to ,him under any award, or agreement or contract of service. Provision is made that workers employed under any order of the Waterfront Control Commission, or employed as tally clerks on the waterfront, are to be allowed Cwo weeks’ holiday on pay fox' each year of employment, on such conditions as may be approved by the Minister of Labour. .. ’ A restriction is placed on either workers or employers contracting out of the’ benefit's of the Bill, and it will be an offence for any person entering into any agreement for that purpose. Holiday books are to be maintained by all employers, while a penal clause provides penalties, for breaches of the legislation, not to exceed £lO in any one case, with a further £2 for every day the offence continues.