ANZAC DAY PAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22431, 29 May 1936, Page 14

ANZAC DAY PAY

TEAMWAY WORKSHOPS MEN DISSATISFIED REPLY BY MANAGER The Auckland Transport Board's attitude concerning payment for Anzac Day to its employees in the tramway workshops is criticised by Mr. E. H. Ihirbidge, secretary of the' Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades Union, to which the men concerned belong. In a letter to the Hkualo Mr. Burbidge says that statements made at the meeting of the board 011 Monday as to the amount of payments to the nieii are incorrect. "The employees have never received, and do not receive, the samo rate of pay for working a 40-hour week as they did when working 44 hours a week," lie writes. "In fact, by reason of their working 40 hours a week, they are receiving 10s less than they were previously. Apart from this there is a definite agreement between the board and the employees, which provides for payment for Easter Saturday and Anzac Day and these employees expected, and still expect, the employers to honour the agreement" Commenting upon the letter Mr. A. E. Ford, manager of the board, said yesterday that previous rates of pay had been restored to employees at the tramway workshop# and they an 010 icceiving 2s Gd an hour, or £5 a week, as against 2s an hour for a 44-honr week, the minimum rate of pay under the existing award for the trade. Defore the introduction of the 40-hour week an agreement was made that the men should receive payment for time lost 011 Easter Saturday and Anzac Day, Now. however, the workshop was closed 011 Saturdays, and the board did not consider that the men should receive extra pay over and above their full week's wages. The idea of agreeing to pav the men on such holidays was to ensure them against any loss of wages when holidays fell on a working day, but, as Easter Saturday and Anzac Day fell on non-working days, the board held that the men had no equitv in their claim. Wlien Anzae Day had fallen on a Sunday the men had not requested payment and, in the circumstances, it was difficult for the board to differentiate between a closed Saturday and a Sunday. There would be no hesitation over paying the men should a holiday fall on a normal working day.