INELASTICITY OF AWARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23220, 18 June 1937, Page 8

INELASTICITY OF AWARDS

CHARGE AGAINST CONTRACTOR COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 17. " This case shows the inelasticity of awards," said Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., in giving judgment in the Magistrate's Court to-day against Michael Gordon Templeton, a contractor, who was prosecuted by the Labour Department for alleged breaches of the New Zealand Carpenters and Joiners' award, 1935. The department claimed £2O on each of two counts of employing carpenters on suburban work during and failing to pay for the time occupied in conveying them to and from their work, situated more than two miles s(nd a-half from Te Aro Post Office, and' £lO on one count of failing to pay the full amount of travelling time. The defence was that the employees agreed to waive their right to travelling time in consideration of the defendant's granting free transport, a 10 minute break for morning tea and two hours' pay on days when work was not started. " The position in respect to the 10 minutes' break' is unfortunate," said the magistrate. " It was undoubtedly given by the defendant with the very best intentions. Perhaps it is better that the awards should be inelastic. Yet no matter how good the intentions of an employer may be he is not entitled to set off one period of time against another. All the men concerned travelled at times in addition to their working hours and were not paid. Therefore the defendant is guilty of a breach of the award." ''

A nominal penalty of Is on each count was imposed,, the breach, not being held to be flagrant, : '.,