Unemployment Insurance Extended to Chauffeurs
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FOR it long time motor drivers and persons attending to mechanically propelled vehicles, whether, private or otherwise, where employed under a contract of service, have suffered under the grievance that they have not been insurable under the national scheme. It will be good news to them that, as from April 4 next, they will be brought into this general scheme of unemployment insurance.
In the main, of course, this applies to chauffeurs in private service, but from the preliminary announcement it would appear that the wording "whether private or otherwise," as applied to the vehicles, will include business vehicles where the drivers are employed under a contract.
In cases where gardening and chauffeur duties are combined, the contributions will normally be payable weekly at the general-scheme rates, i.e., for a man age 21 to 65, 9d. per week by the employer and 9d. by the employee; or at agricultural rates for similar ages, 4id. per week each, according to the type of work upon which most time is spent during the particular week, but both parties may make a formal arrangement that the contribution shall always be payable under one or other of the schemes. It is essential that such an arrangement be registered at a local office of the Ministry of Labour.
Where a chauffeur is also occupied with indoor private domestic duties which are not insurable, the employment as a whole becomes insurable if the duties as chauffeur occupy at least one-third of the weekly hours of work. Domestic work includes such duties as window cleaning and chopping wood.
The persons affected should call at the nearest employment exchange or local office of the Ministry of Labour before the date given above, in order to obtain their unemployment books and any other information which may be required.