H.—ll

Fifty cases of alleged refusal to reinstate discharged persons wore dealt with in 1943-44, as against 32 in the previous year. In 25 cases it was found that no breach had been committed. Prosecutions were commenced in 4of the remaining cases, convictions being secured in 2 instances. One case was withdrawn upon payment to the workers of an amount representing loss of remuneration, and another case was dismissed. In this latter case reinstatement in a nearby locality had been offered. The worker's personal circumstances in that locality were, however, unfavourable to him. It was held that as long as conditions that are terms of an agreement for employment are not less favourable no offence occurred. Several other cases were dealt with on the basis of payment of sums by the employer to the worker, amounts as high as £45, £91, and £140 being involved. INDUSTRIAL EMERGENCY COUNCIL This was set up soon after the outbreak of the war to advise the Minister of Labour on matters relating to the war effort. There have been ten meetings of the Council during the year. In addition, the Hours Committee met on eighteen occasions and the Apprenticeship Committee on nineteen occasions. The following matters were dealt with :— (a) Modification of apprenticeship orders to permit the employment of apprentices by persons in business on their own account in those cases where the orders prescribe that a journeyman must be employed before the employer shall be entitled to take on an apprentice—see N.Z. Gazette No. 64, sth August, 1943, p. 959 : (b) Suspension of the Factories Act provisions limiting hours of work for female workers employed in manufacturing electric lamps —see N.Z. Gazette No. 61, 30th July 1943 p. 921 : (c) Suspension of the Factories Act and award provisions to permit commencement of work before 8 a.m. and a break of half an hour for lunch during the period required for effecting repairs to a breakdown at the Arapuni Power-house —see N.Z. Gazette No. 47, 18th June, 1943, p. 699 (order revoked on 28th July, 1943—see N.Z. Gazette No. 61, 30th July, 1943, following the completion of repairs) : (d) Introduction of three-shift system for female employees employed at a Hastings fruitand vegetable-canning factory—see N.Z. Gazette No. 1, 13th January, 1944, p. 12 : (e) Authorization of shift-work for female workers employed in the manufacture of ice-cream by two Wellington firms and one firm at Palmerston North—see N.Z. Gazette No. 13, 24th February, 1944, p. 194 : (/) Permitting the employment of workers in laundries and women and boys in dry-cleaning establishments in the Auckland District on any Suiiday, holiday, or half-holiday, the work performed on those days to be exclusively for hospitals, shipping, or the Armed Forces in the case of laundries, and exclusively for the Armed Forces in the case of dry-cleaning establishments—see N.Z. Gazette No. 105, 2nd December, 1943, p. 1430: (g) Modification of the New Zealand Metal Trades' Employees' award, dated 30th day of June, 194-1, to permit the employment of females in the service division of a cash register company in Wellington—see N.Z. Gazette No. 64, sth August, 1943, p. 960 : (li) Suspension of the Factories Act provisions to permit the employment of female workers in two milk-pasteurizing factories in Auckland up to 11 p.m. on ordinary working-days, Sundays, holidays, and half-holidays—see N.Z. Gazette No. 37, 20th May, 1943, p. 553 : (i) Modification of the Factories Act, 1921-22, and the Northern Industrial District Rubberworkers' award, dated the 14th day of June, 1943, to enable an Auckland rubber-mill to employ part-time female workers in the manufacture of tennis-balls—see N.Z Gazette No. 88, 7th October, 1943, p. 1185 : (j) Fixation of wages and conditions for female workers employed on a night shift at Auckland in the repair of second-hand sacks —see N.Z. Gazette No. 61, 30th July, 1943, p. 921 : (k) Suspension of the Factories Act provisions to permit the employment of six female workers on night shift by a Wellington firm in the winding of platform springs for Sten gunssee N.Z. Gazette No. 86, 30th September, 1943, p. 1162 : (I) Modification of the New Zealand Tea-rooms and Restaurant Employees' award, dated the 30th day of March, 1942, and the Shops and Offices Act, 1921-22, to enable female workers (other than kitchen staff) over eighteen years to be employed up to 11.30 p.m. in restaurants and tea-rooms —see N.Z. Gazette No. 26, 15th April, 1943, p. 446 (order revoked on 7th December, 1943, and new order substituted—see N.Z. Gazette No. 109, 9th December, 1943, p. 1471) : (m) Fixing special conditions for employees of two tabacco-factories in Wellington—see N.Z. Gazette No. 47, 18th June, 1943, p. 699 (order renewed on 20th December, 1943— see N.Z. Gazette No. 112, 23rd December, 1943, p. 1533; also special conditions for casual female workers employed after 5 p.m. at those factories—see N.Z. Gazette No. 941, 28th October, 1943, p. 1260): (n) Modification of awards and industrial agreements covering tramways' employees to enable them to work on an additional day in any week —see N.Z. Gazette No. 30, 29th April 1943, p. 486 : (o) Fixing conditions of employment for workers on shift-work in woollen-mills—see N.Z. Gazette No. 103, 25th November, 1943, p. 1408 (the Woollen-mills Labour Legislation Suspension Ordef 1940, Serial numbers 1940/132 and 1941/19, revoked): (p) Modifying conditions of employment of female workers in fruit and produce stores—see N.Z. Gazette No. 25, 30th March, 1944-, p. 307. ANNUAL HOLIDAYS ACT, 1944 The Act comes into operation on Ist August, 1944, and provides that on completion of each year of service with an employer every worker is entitled to an annual holiday of two weeks on ordinary pay, this holiday to be given by the employer within six months after it becomes due. It may, however, be taken in two periods of one week, or may be taken in advance—i.e., before the end of the year for which it is allowed—a measure of flexibility introduced to make for smooth operation. Where any special holiday for which a worker is entitled to payment under the terms of his employment occurs

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