CO-OPERATIVE WORKERS AND COMPENSATION.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12710, 1 December 1909, Page 3

CO-OPERATIVE WORKERS AND COMPENSATION.

[United Pbess Association.] Dunedin, Nov. 30. A question of some importance in connection with the co-operative contracts, was disposed of by a judgment Of tho Arbitration Court today. The parents of Patrick Lawless sued the Public Works Department for compensation for his death. A co-operative gang had been assigned a piece of work on the Catlins railway ■construction, and they arranged with one named Seboles, to provide a horse to draw the trucks, and he in turn employed the deceased to drive tho horse, and paid him 6s per day. On May sth Lawless was killod while at work. The question for the Court to determine was whether a co-op-orative gang were contractors or piece workers. The Court held that tiie.v were contractors, which brought the case under section 13 of the Workers' "Compensation Act, 1908. The Court awarded £186 compensation.