HOTEL EMPLOYEES.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1920, Page 5

HOTEL EMPLOYEES.

ALLEGED BREACH OF AWARD. At the Hawera Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, before Mr. T. A. B. Bailey ,S.M., a. number of charges for breaches of the Taranaki hotel employees' award were brought against H. E. Card, licensee of the Central Hotel, by W. J. Mountjoy. Defendant was charged with having failed to comply with clause 24 of the award, which required that a time-table Betting forth the working hours of each employee shall be exhibited in some convenient place in the hotel. He was also charged that for the week ending May 16, 11)20, he failed to give Valerie Smith, a waitress, a whole holiday of 24 hours commencing at the usual hour for starting work on such day, and as the week was race week he did fail to allow the holiday so lost to be taken within the five weeks immediately following, as provided in clause'' 2- (b). There were two similar charges—one in respect to holidays withheld from Leah Smith (waitress) and H. Jeffries (housemaid). A further charge against defendant was that he failed to keep a wages and time book in respect to Walter Smith, head barman.

Mr. Ryan appeared for defendant and pleaded not guilty. He explained that a time-table showing the hours of work had been posted in' the office, but this practice was interrupted by alterations to the office. He would put in records to show that a time and wages book had been kept. With regard to Valerie Smith, this servant had received her weekly holiday with the exception of one week. She had allowed her holidays to accumulate, and had spent four days in Palmerston North, for which she was paid by Mr. Card, whg was not a hard employer.

The Magistrate: Then she was a party to the breach. Defendant stated that Valerie Smith and all the girls worked right, through show week. He told the girls that they must take the holiday within five weeks, but they asked that it be allowed to accumulate so that they could go to Palmerston North, where they had four days on full pay. Miss Jeffries had asked that her holiday be allowed to stand, so that she could go to New Plymouth later. He believed that Miss Jeffries loft in sympathy with the others. The girls were given many a Sunday off as well as the ordinary holiday. Smith had been a barman, but had been promoted to the position of manager. Mrs. Tregonning was the manageress of the household part of the hotel. He had received advice from Wellington that it was sufficient to post the time-table in the office. The alterations to the office were not completed at the time Mr. Pettett called. He did no understaff, and paid well, and desired his employees to take their holidays in the terms of the award.

The Magistrate said lie would look into the question of whether Smith was n pavtv to the breach, and would give V* deoision later,—Star