PAYMENT FOR ANZAC DAY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19136, 2 April 1924, Page 5

PAYMENT FOR ANZAC DAY.

A TEST CASE. MAGISTRATE’S RESERVED JUDGMENT. (Pkb United P.bess Association.) AUCKLAND, April 1. Mr Cutlen. S.M.. gave his reserved judgment to decide whether a worker employed on a weekly wage is entitled to payment for Ansae Day, the claim being by an employee against the Colonial Sugar Refining Company for wages, the company having deducted 14s 6d from the plaintiff'* wages in 1922 and 1923 because the works closed and there was no work on Anzae Day. This was a Jest case, and the decision was accepted with several other claims. The magistrate said that the question was whether clause 9. sub-clause B, of the award permitted the deductions to be made to apply to Anzae Day, for it permitted deductions only in respect of holidays on which there was not work if the employees were weekly workers. The question still remained whether Anzae Dav might bo regarded as a holiday within the meaning of sub-clause 98. The magistrate held (hat this must he taken to include Anzae Day, and he gave permission for the deduction of which plaintiff complained. In any event the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1908 nrovided that no action for the payment of wages at a less rate than provided should hold, unless taken within three months. If that were not the position, Ihe claim must fail, because only weekly workers were entitled to payment for Anzae Day. Judgment was given for the defendant company.