BONUS TO UNEMPLOYED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22751, 11 December 1935, Page 8

BONUS TO UNEMPLOYED

A STATEMENT MISUNDERSTOOD MINISTER CLEARS UP POSITION (Peb United Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 10. The Minister of Employment (Mr H. T. Armstrong) said this morning that his attention had been drawn to an error in the report -of his remarks made to a Christchurch deputation yesterday, which might cause a misunderstanding. The report made him say that relief workers receiving more than £2 10s a week would be granted a bonus at Christmas. Mr Armstrong had been speaking of clerical workers employed in the bureaux, local body offices, relief depots, etc., and had intended to convey that married men in that category receiving more, than £2 10a a week would not receive the bonus. The Minister announces that the Christmas bonus to relief workers will be an amount equivalent to two and ahalf weeks' normal relief to workers in receipt of relief during the week ended December 7, and >vho have been on relief for periods totalling at least 13 weeks during the previous 12 months. Women registered with women's employment committees and eligible under the above are included. The payments will be in two instalments, the first prior to Christmas, comprising the two weeks holiday period plus a week's bonus, and the second on January 2 or as soon thereafter as possible, comprising a payment equal to on« week and a-half pay. The Minister emphasises that men taking up seasonal work offering will not be penalised but will receive the bonus and urges the men to accept the work offering