MUSICIANS’ AWARD

Southland Times, Issue 23307, 17 September 1937, Page 3

MUSICIANS’ AWARD

HALL COMMITTEES NOT BOUND Whether hall committees which organize dances for the purpose of raising funds to pay off the debts on their halls are bound by the musicians award is a point about which there has been a difference of opinion in Soutnlahd, but according to advice received yesterday by the combined hall committees of Invercargill from the acting Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb), they are not bound by the award. The combined hall committees recently wrote to the district inspector of factories (Mr H. M. Hopper) wking whether the musicians’ award applied to dances run by the Kqw Kindergarten Committee. The inspector, in reply, stated that “no award or mdustrial agreement shall affect the employment of any worker who is employed otherwise than for direct or indirect gain by the employer. Th® spector added that the holding of dances by the Kew Kindergarten was purely incidental to the furthering of the objects and aims of the kindergarten, and as they were not for the benefit of the members they could not be deemed to be for the pecuniary gain of such members. In a letter to the Minister the combined hall committees explained that the Kindergarten Committee had been paying the award rates of pay since May 17, when the award was brought into operation in Southland, believing it was compelled to do so. The Musicians’ Union still claimed, notwithstanding the inspector’s ruling to the contrary, that the award did apply and the matter had come to a deadlock between the hall committees and the union. The committees declared that they could no longer carry on the dances unless the music could be procured at a more reasonable figure. The Minister, in a telegram to the hall committees, stated that the position was as advised in the inspector s letter.