SATURDAY SHEARING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19792, 21 November 1938, Page 4

SATURDAY SHEARING

WORK TILL 4 O'CLOCK BROKEN WEEK PROVISION NO OVERTIME ALLOWED Saturday shearing has been the subject of some misconception among both flock-owners and shearers in the Gisborne district recently, more particularly in view of the loss of time as a result of the showery weather. An outline of the position was given to-day by the secretary of the. Poverty Bav and Easlt Coast Sheepowners* Union, Mr. A. J. Stock, who stated that although the award provided for a cessation of work at noon on Saturday, an agreement between the Sheepowners' Federation and the Shearers' Union had extended the time to 4 p.m. if the full hours for the week had not been worked up to that time.

Mr. Stock sa'id that the award provided for work for not more than nine hours a day, but if the 44 hours set down in the award had not been completed, work could continue until noon on Saturday. Last season it was found that this provision %vas having the effect of extending the shearing season unduly in periods of wet wea'ther, and the Sheepowners' Federation and the Shearers' Union agreed to vary the conditions of t he award by extending the period over which work could be done until 4 p.m. on Saturday, if the 44 hours had not been completed before then. Tha't agreement was still jn existence.

Overtime Not Provided For

Another point on which many inquiries had been made recently was the matter of overtime. Although shearing could be continued until 4 p.m. on Saturday, if the full 44 hours bad not been completed during the week; it must be understood that when the '44 hours were completed work must stop. No provision was made in the award for overtime. With a clear run, the 44 hours should be completed by 4 p.m. on Friday, but if Saturday wbrk was necessary overtime could not be claimed, for there was no provision for it.

Mr. Stock added that he had received many inquiries on these points during the past week or so, more particularly as there had been so much broken time recently, and he hbped that the explanation he had given would clear up the points raised.