APPRENTICES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17078, 29 January 1916, Page 10

APPRENTICES.

INTERPRETATION OF AN AWARD. [Per Press Association*.] WELLINGTON, January 28. An important interpretation of the Wellington plumbers' and gasfltters' award has recently been filed by the president of the Arbitration Court. An interpretation was sought by the Inspector of Awards, Wellington, who put to the Court the question: an apprentice who is called up for six or seven months' compulsory military service under the Defence Act required to make up such time before entering on the next succeeding year of apprenticeship?" The judgment states: In the opinion of the Court the answer must be in the negative. At the time of the award being made the Defence Act, 1909, was in force, and it must, therefore, be assumed that the parties knew that an apprentice might be liable to compulsory military service during certain portions of his apprenticeship term, and no provision to meet that contingency having been inserted in the award the apprentice -cannot be'required to make up the time during which he was engaged in such service before entering on the next succeeding year of apprenticeship."