BUTCHERS' AWARD

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12322, 17 December 1925, Page 10

BUTCHERS' AWARD

XMAS WEEK HALF-HOLIDAY ARBITRATION COURT PRONOUNCEMENT INTERPRETATION OF AWARD I’roviied that an employer complies with the provisions of applicable sections of the butchers’ award, says the pronouncement of the Arbitration Court on the question of the half-day in Christmas week, he is at liberty to alter tbe flay of the weekly half-holiday, also provided that he chooses one of the days specified in clause X (a). In the butchers’ award for the Wellington district (except Wanganui and Banritikei) it is directed that forty-eight hours shall constitute n week’s work, to be worked as follows : Between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4.30 p.m., or 7.30 a.m. and S p.m., with one hour for lunch, on five days of the week; between the hours of 7 a.m. and 11.30 a.m., or 7.30 a.m. and 12 noon, on the day of the weekly halfholiday, which shall be either Wednesday or Saturday within a radius of twentylive miles from the General Post Office nt Wellington, and either Wednesday Thursday or Saturday outside that radius; and ( c) each employer shall notify the union what the starting and finishing horn- shall be for each of his workers, and such hours when so fixed shall continue for a period of not less ihan six months, and thereafter, if the employer decided to alter the hours, he shall give notice to the union within three days. QUESTION OF INTERPRETATION A question has arisen as io the interpretation of the award. The employers have, sent in the necessary notice of the starting and finishing time of each employee. and have fixed Wednesday as a weekly half-holiday. The six months' period has not elapsed. Are they entitled lo merge the weekly half-holiday into the special holidays mentioned in Hie holidays clause during the weeks ending December 26l]i, 192. r >, and January 2nd 1926. by giving the necessary notice? Tile opinion of thp court on this point has been given by Mr Justice Frazer ns "Clause 1 (a) deals with two matters;

•First, it fixes alternative commencing and finishing hours; and, secondly,lit gives a choice of days on which tHie weekly half-holiday may be observed. Clause 1 (e) requires the commencing and finishing hours, when decided on and notified to the union, to remain unaltered for. six months, but it is silent in regard to the day of the weekly half-holiday. Clause 1 (ci is sufficiently complied with if an employer notifies the union that his workers’ honrs are to be from 7 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. on five days of the week, and from 7 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. on the dav of the weekly half-holiday. He is not required to specify the day of the halfholiday. Sections 14, 21 and 22 of the Shops and Offices Act, 1921-22, set out an employer’s obligations in respect of the weekly half-holiday, and if he complies with the provisions of such of those sections as may be applicable.in his case he !« at liberty to alter the day of the weekly half-holiday in any week, provided he chooses one of the days specified in clause 1 (a).”