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Fined for working week of 93 hours

28th May 1971, Page 32
28th May 1971
Page 32
Page 32, 28th May 1971 — Fined for working week of 93 hours
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Keywords : Law / Crime

• A firm and one of its drivers faced 19 summonses, six of which are believed to be the first under the 1968 Act relating to exceeding the 11 hours duty, when cases were heard at Blackpool magistrates' court last week.

Mr J. S. Lawton, prosecuting on behalf of the DoE, said that all the summonses related to failure to keep current records of hours worked and exceeding the permitted driving hours by the driver, and that six of the summonses of exceeding the 11 hours duty were the first of their kind in the country under the new Act. Mr Lawton added that the maximum fine of £20 under the old Act had now been increased £200.

Before the court was Mr Erick George Buick, of Carleton Avenue, Layton, a driver for the Blackpool firm of BKP Fabrications Ltd. He pleaded guilty to six summonses of exceeding 11 hours duty during the working day; four summonses of being on duty for more than 60 hours during a working week; three of failing to take a 24-hour break in a working week and six of failing to keep current records. He was fined £1 on each of the 19 summonses. BKP Fabrications pleaded guilty to the first 10 summonses and of causing the next three, but not guilty to the last six summonses of causing Mr Buick to fail to keep current records. The last six summonses were found proved, however, and the firm was fined £5 on each of the 19 summonses.

A traffic examiner, Mr G. Mayell, said that when he examined Mr Blick's clock card it showed that he had worked 93 hours in one week, but his record sheets only showed 60 hours. The card also revealed that Wick had worked 39 consecutive hours without having a rest in between. The offences had been committed between July and October.

In a statement Mr Blick said he had been working excessive hours but thought he was able to do so as long as his driving time was not affected.

For the company it was said that records sheets showed that the driving time was correct and assumed that Wick was working the correct hours. It was in the wage office that it was realized that Mr Buick was being paid a good deal of overtime, but the office was not to know that he was only allowed to work certain hours.

Imposing the fines, the chairman of the magistrates, Mr J. L. Adshead, said it was now a serious offence to work more hours than the law allowed, but because of the circumstances he would take a lenient view in this case. He warned that should similar cases come before the Bench in future the consequences would be serious.


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