LABOUR LAW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10824, 18 July 1913, Page 4

LABOUR LAW.

SHOPS, HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS. REGULATION OF EMPLOYEES' HOURS. IMPORTANT PROVISIONS. [Feoii Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, July 17. A consolidation of tho Shops and Offices Act was introduced by the Prime Minister to-day in his capacity of Minister of Labour. There are fiftynine clauses, but the bulk of them are taken from former Acts and now incorporated into one measure. Hotel and restaurant workers' holidays are to be regulated by statute, the hours of employment being fixed as follows:—• In the case of an hotel, for not more than sirty-two hours (excluding meal times) in any one week in the case of a male whose age exceeds sixteen years; not more than fifty-eight hours (excluding meal times) in any one week iii any other case. In the case of a restaurant, for not more than sixty-two hours (excluding meal times) in any one week in the case of a male whose age exceeds sixteen years, nor more than fifty-four hours (excluding meal times) in any one week in any other case. In either case these employees are not to be worked for more than eleven hours (excluding meal times) in any ono day, nor for more than five hours continuously without an interval of at least half an hour for a meal. OVERTIME RATES. Such working hours may be extended for not more than three hours in any one day nor more than ninety hours, in any one year. Every assistant employed during these extended hours shall be paid half as much again as the ordinary rate of wages, or the sum of ninepenee per hour, whichever is the greater. WEEKLY HOLIDAYS. Thero is also provision for a weekly half-holiday in hotels and restaurants where not more than three assistants aro employed and where business is not conducted 011 Sundays, otherwise every assistant employed in or about an hotel or restaurant shall be entitled to a whole holiday of twentyfour hours, commencing at his usual hour for oommencing work on such day in each week as the occupier in the case of each such assistant thinks fit. There is a provision for alternative holidays in the case of hotels, the licensee being allowed not more than once in two months to work his assistants on the half or whole-day holiday, giving them in each case a whole day off that week or in tho succeeding week. A new clause clearly sets out the illegality of restaurant or hotelkeepers selling aftor closing hours of the shops in the same district any goods commonly sold in those establishments. Engineers, electricians and clerics engaged in hotels are not included in these provisions. The law relating to offices is repeated practically without change. Closing hours in the combined districts of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin —All shops (other than those which are exempted from closing on the statutory half-holiday) shall be closed from the hour of 8 p.m. on four working days of the week, other than the day of the statutory half-holiday, and not later than ten on one other working day of the week. Such, last-mentioned working day shall bo Friday in the caso of all occupiers who observe Saturday as the statutory half-holiday, and in ail other cases shall be Saturday. If any shopkeeper within one mile of a shop which in accordance with requisition closes as indicated above fails to carry out the agreement, the Minister of Labour will enforce the requisition against the shopkeeper. SPECIAL TRADES. The hours of employment in special trades which have hitherto been allowed a good deal of latitude, are to be definitely fixed, the object being to enforce a uniform eight o'clock closing of all shops in the cities, except on one working day of tlio week. The schedule specifies the closing times as

Refreshment-room-k(\:po;-s l»ave been deleted from this schedule, as they aro provided for in the. clauses of the Bill as already explained.

follows:— Hour on Hour on ono WorkHour on o'atutory ing Day other Halfin each ''J'orking holiday. Veok. Days. p.m. p.m o.m. Bakers . , 10.150 11 10.30 Butchers . . 1 10 6 Chemists . . 1 9 8 Confectioners . 10.30 11 10.00 Dairy produce sellers . . G 10 6 Fishmongers . 10.30 11 JO.30 Florists . S 10 8 Fruiterers . 10.30 ■ 11 10.30 Hairdressers . 1 10.30 . 8 Newsagents . 1 10 8 Perk butchers . 1 11 10.30 Tobacconists . 1 10.30 B