BUSINESS HOURS ARE FIXED FOR XMAS HOLIDAYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18338, 15 December 1927, Page 5

BUSINESS HOURS ARE FIXED FOR XMAS HOLIDAYS.

As a certain amount of misunderstanding exists in the minds of the public regarding the observance of the Christmas Holidays, the following extracts from the Public Holidays Act are published for general information. When Christmas Day falls on a Sunday the following rules shall apply with respect to the construction of the provisions of any Act, award or industrial agreement in so far as they relate to Sunday, Christmas Day, or Boxing Day, that is to say:— (a) Where provision is made for the granting of a holiday, or the observance of certain hours of labour, or the payment of certain rates of wages on Sundays, such provisions shall apply without modification on the Sunday being Christmas Day; (b) Where provision is made for the granting of a holiday, or the observance of certain hours of labour, or the payment of certain rates of wages on Christmas Day, such provisions shall apply on the next succeeding Monday as if it were Christmas Day; (c) Where provision is made for the granting of a holiday or the observance of certain hours of labour, or the payment of certain rates of wages on Boxing Day, such provisions shall apply on the neht succeeding Tuesday as if it were Boring Day. (d) When New Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, the holiday shall be allowed on the next succeeding Monday.” With reference to Anniversary Day: Where an award of phe Arbitration Court provides that Anniversary Day shall be observed as a holiday in any particular trade or industry, and the holiday is not observed, all work done must be paid for at the overtime rates set out in the award. A peculiar position has arisen under the Bakers’ and Pastrycooks’ Award. The old award provided that Show Day could be substituted for Anniversary Day. The current award, however, provies for a straight out holiday on Anniversary Day with no reference to Show Day. Consequently any workers covered by this award employed on Anniversary Day will have to be paid overtime rates.