AMENDING BILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 12 March 1936, Page 8

AMENDING BILL

oWORKERS’ COMPENSATION ACT

PROVISION FOR INCREASED PAYMENTS

Amendments of outstanding importance will he made to the Workers’ Compensation Act during the coming session of Parliament, and many anomalies which have becn the subject of representations both by employers and employees over a long period of years will*be removed states “The Post.” Provision will he made for increased payments to those suffering accidents and their dependants. For instance, the present Act provides that the maximum payment which a servant may recover from his employer in respect of an accident caused by the negligence of a fellow-servant is £IOOO. This, it is believed, will be increased to £1250.

Provision will probably be made in the Bill for the establishment of a special Court to deal with compensation cases. This Court will have the full powers at present exercised by the Arbitration Court in dealing with compensation cases, and will be constituted somewhat similarly. The question of the constitution of the Court has not yet been decided, but the Minister of Labour (the Hon. 11. 1 ■ Armstrong) holds the view that it should consist of a Judge, a doctor, and a representative of the workers. The Act will lie extended to cover a worker not employed in or for the purpose of any trade or business carried on by the. employer, and sucli worker is to be compensated, if he lias been employed for a period of at least three consecutive days within the period of twelve months preceding the day of the aceidc-nt.

The minimum payment in the ease of the death of a worker will he fixed at £SOO instead of £3OO as at present. In cases of accident the present Act provides for the payment of reasonable medical and surgical expenses not exceeding £l. This amount will probably he increased to £25, and there will lie a similar allowance for funeral expenses. Provision will probably be made in the Bill that compensation moneys arc to rank with wages in the event of the bankruptcy of the employer. It is also proposed to include in the Bill a cause making it mandatory for employers to insure against accidents to their employees. Under the present Act insurance is not compulsory, and this has led to numerous eases of hardship. The view taken by the Government is that workers entitled to compensation as a result of an accident should not be deprived of their rights through the failure of the employer to insure, and In the Bill penalties will he prescribed for failure to do so. Prosecutions will probably be taken by the Labour Department.

INCREASED SCOPE It is expected that another important proposal in the Bill will he to increase greatly the number of workers covered by its provisions. The present Act does not include any person employed otherwise than by manual labour whose remuneration exceeds £4OO a year. This amount will probably be increased by over £IOO.

There will probably be important additions to the diseases and injuries in respect of which compensation is payable. The principle to be adopted will be that an employer will be held liable unless he can prove that the disease from which a worker is suffering was not due in whole or part to the employment of the worker while in his service.

Difficulty has been experienced in the past in obtaining from employers correct wage statements upon which compensation premiums arc based. The amendments will probably provide that every employer must keep a careful inid'accurate account of all wages paid to his employees, and to render a correct account'thereof to his insurance office.

Another clause is expected to provide that compensation paid under the Act shall not operate to disentitle any person to such pension as may be provided for old age or widowhood. As has already been indicated, the Bill will make special provision for relief workers. Under the present Act a relief worker receives compensation based on his . weekly earnings. This provision will he amended so that relief workers will receive compensation based on a forty-hour week.