DAIRY ROUNDSMEN'S WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19699, 27 July 1927, Page 14

DAIRY ROUNDSMEN'S WORK

INTERPRETATION OF AWARD

FAILURE OF OVERTIME CLAIM.

A claim for a penalty for breaches of the Dairy Employees' Award was brought against Frederick J. Cossey, proprietor of tho Pupuko Dairy Company, Takapuna (Mr. Butler) by tho Auckland Dairy Employees' Union (Mr. Tuck), in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday. Tho union claimed the company had not paid the commission duo to certain roundsmen every four weeks, as required by the award, and that it had failed to pay overtime for the washing of bottles. Two of the roundsmen, W. Dean and W. J. Bell claimed overtime accordingly. For the defence it was admitted the commission was not paid until nearly two weeks after it fell due, but it was claimed this time was necessary for the making up of the accounts and tho payments were made at intervals of four weeks. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., said ho interpreted tho award to mean tho payments were to bo made at intervals of four weeks as soon as possible after they fell due, allowing reasonable time for the making up of accounts. The claim under this bead must therefore fail. In regard to tho overtime claim the magistrate said that in the case of can rounds tho roundsmen wero required to wash their cans, but the award made no reference to the washing of bottles. Apparently tho clause meant that roundsmen should wash the containers in which they delivered tho milk and therefore this claim failed also. For the same reason the claims of Dean and Bell would be dismissed.