FARM WAGES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 183, 6 July 1936, Page 12

FARM WAGES.

PERIODS OF PAYMENT

REGULARITY REQUIRED

Information to the effect that farm employees can demand their wages weekly was received at the monthly meeting of the Waikato sub-provin-cial branch of the Farmers’ Union. At the previous meeting it was decided to obtain a legal opinion on the matter in view of the iact that sonic farmers had been fined in the Magistrate's Court for non-regular payment of wages. It had been stated at the meeting that it /was the common practice on farms for employees not to draw wages regularly. The legal opinion in summing up the position stated that “briefly the position is a farmer’s employee can demand his wages to be paid weekly unless there is a written agreement between them to the contrary. I think it is important that the agreement should be in writing as otherwise, if an employee fell out with his employer who had been paying him liis wages regularly as the result of a mutual arrangement, he might easily turn round and avail himself to the privileges given to an employee under the Act.”

It was decided to circulate the information to branches of the Farmers’ Union.

Further information was received at the meeting emphasising the fact tliat unless there is a written agreement to the contrary, the employers are liable to a fine of £lO for a frist offence, £25 for a second offence and £SO for a third offence. The verbal consent of the employee was no defence. It was also stated that no deductions could be made from the wages for any reason.