BREACH OF AWARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22057, 13 September 1933, Page 11

BREACH OF AWARD

SMALL FINE' IMPOSED “TRYING TO HELP YOUTHS.” (Peb United Pbess Association.) WELLINGTON, September 12. A penalty-of £1 was imposed on A. B. Chamberlain in the Magistrate’s _ Court for a breach of the grocers' assistants award. The. inspector of awards claimed a penalty of £10; alleging that Chamberlain employed in his shop two youths and only one senior; whereas the award stipulated that there had-f to be more than' three fully-paid Senior assistants before two youths could be employed. . Counsel for the defendant said that Chamberlain had engaged the second youth mostly for the boy’s own benefit. When it was pointed out that this was a breach of the award he was willing to dismiss the boy, but an inspector had told him to retain the boy until he heard further from him. Later, Chamberlain’s -brother , took over the management of the shop, and the inspector drew his attention to the fact that he was employing two boys whenhe was entitled-to have only one. His brother saw Mr Wakelin/tbe district officer, in charge, of, the Labour Department, and Mr Wakelin advised him to keep the two boys until further notice. If there was a breach, it was only a technical one. .. ~ , “It seems’a great pity that employers trying to help youths should be harassed by this class of prosecution," said counMr Stilwell, S.M., said he was satisfied that a breach had been committed, and said that he was somewhat disturbed by the admission that had one of the boys been paid as a junior, on the assurance of Mr Wakelin, no prosecution would have followed, even though it was still illegal to employ two boys. .