NUMBER TEN SCHEME

Northern Advocate, 7 June 1933, Page 6

NUMBER TEN SCHEME

THE AMENDED PLAN RULES AND REGULATIONS. AID TO BUILDING. . (Special to "Northern Advocate. ) AUCKLAND, This Day. Following on the recent announcement by the Unemployment Board regarding the amended Number 10 Scheme, the rules in connection thcrewith were issued last evening. Applications for assistance may be fljade in respect of proposed new buildings, alterations and additions commenced as from June L No specific restriction is now to be made as to the class of buildings on which the subsidy is' payable. Applications will be considered individually by the Unemployment Board. They must be aecom- i panied by the class of work to be undertaken and of the reasons, if any, which would prevent the work proposed from being proceeded with this year without the assistance of a subsidy. A consideration for approval of a subsidy will be that New Zealand materials are used wherever practicable. On approved works a wages subsidy will be paid from the unemployment funds at the,rate of 33 1-3 per cent, up to. award rates on the total wages pail, in. respect of labour actually perform-ed-on the promises, except that in the case of the erection of new dwellings not exceeding £650 in total building cost the wages subsidy \vill be at the j rate of 50 per cent on wages up to award rate. , No subsidy will be paid in respect of - wages for work performed away from the premises, notwithstanding that such work may be part of an approve ! , job and whether or not carried out by , a contractor for an approved job. If the question arises as to what shall constitute “labour actually performed on premises” in respect of which the subsidy is claimed, it shall be referred to the Unemployment Board for a ruling. In order to calculate the amount of subsidy payable, a wages book showing only wages paid for work actually performed on the premises must be kept and a certificate as to its accuracy must be given by the builder concerned. Contractors’ Wages. In the case of small jobs, where a building contractor himself is actually engaged doing work or where he h? working with men, it shall be in order for him to book wages to himself for actual time so worked, based on the rate; for tradesmen operating in the current award for carpenters and join- - ers. Wages of sub-contractors or men engaged by sub-contractors may be entered in the wages book, but only in , respect of time actually worked on the premises. Such wages must be certified correct by the builder in charge. - The subsidy will not be payable i f work is commenced prior to the approval of the Unemployment Board ..oing notified. Approval of the subsidy will be cancelled if a contract is not let and work actually commenced withill three calendar months from the date cf notification of approval, ymlcss by arrangement with the Unemployment Board in the case of largo buildings where the time necessary for the pre- • paration of plans and specifications would exceed that period. No -restrictions will be imposed regarding the source from which labour may be recruited. Wages for labour other than that engaged through Government labour bureaus will therefore ( be eligible for the subsidy. Employers, however, are asked to recognise that, -,s a general rule, the necessity for relief is greater in the case of married men. The subsidy basis will involve a cost to the Unemployment Board greatly m excess of that granted last year, and is based on the principal of rationing work on approved jobs to a limit of 40 hours a week, with a further condition that no overtime may be worked. Honrs of Work. It may be that in particular eases there will be strong economic reasons why the hours of work should not be rationed to 30 hours a week basis. On representations in such eases to the board, adjustments in the basis of ti e, subsidy may be arranged, except thirt in no case will the -subsidy be paid when the wceklv hours of work exceed 44.

These rest rictive condition si, in so . far as they relate to weekly hours of work, shall not apply to any work coming within the scope bf “countrv ■Rork, but the hours worked must not exceed 48 a week. Builders in any class of trade operating under the scheme are required to protect their workers under the provisions of the Workers 7 Compensation Act. Thb Unemployment Board will not accept any responsibility in this connection. Tills applies also to loe.-l authbrities and government departmehts which may be operating under the scheme. A breach of any rules ol the scheme will render the payment of the subsidies liable to cancellation, and a refund of the subsidies paid may be

required. Workers who may bo engaged through a Government labour bureau and who have hitherto been in receipt ot relief under -Scheme No. d, mav in the first week of their employment under Scheme No. 10 proceed thereto immediately on completion of their ration of work under Scheme No. d. In no circumstances may they work under botli schemes in the same week. It is expected that wages costs in respect of any job will be kept within.

the original estimate, and in nn on so must the estimate be exceeded by more than per cent, without reference to the Commissioner of Unemployment.