Member of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Commission.
P. J. DAVIES, Industrial Registrar.
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THE INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION COMMISSION OF QUEENSLAND
No, B388 of 1965 MR. H. J. HARVEY, MR. J. P. BENNETT, MR. R. H. TAIT,
Commissioners
The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Acts, 1961 to 1964
In the matter of the conversion into Dollars and Cents of monetary amounts prescribed in Awards and Industrial Agreements; and In the matter of an application by the Public Service Commissioner for
a general ruling by the Commission with respect to such matter.
GENERAL RULING
CONVERSION TO DECIMAL CURRENCY
THE Public Service Commissioner by Notice of Motion made application for a General Ruling "that all monetary amounts prescribed in Awards of the Commission and in Industrial Agreements made under The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Acts, 1961 to 1964, shall be converted to and prescribed in Dollars and/or Cents with effect as from 14th February, 1966, and that such Awards and Industrial Agreements shall be varied
accordingly". .
It was pointed out in the grounds and reasons for the application that in terms of the Currency Act 1963 the monetary unit or unit of currency of Australia is the dollar, and the denominations of money in the currency of Australia are dollars and cents, and the operative date of the legislation has been proclaimed to be 14th February, 1966.
Because of this, it becomes necessary to convert into dollars and cents the monetary amounts prescribed in Awards and Industrial Agreements.
The jurisdiction of the Commission to provide for amounts of money shown in Awards and Agreements to be expressed in what is now generally referred to as decimal currency was not challenged but there was disputa- tion as to how the conversion of present amounts of money to decimal currency is to be effected.
To assist the Commission, Mr. Luke for the Crown presented a draft form of "General Ruling" which provides for the con.version to decimal currency in accordance with his submissions.
Briefly, the method of conversion suggested is in two parts and deals with (1) amounts specified in Awards and Agreements as weekly rates,
and (2) amounts other than weekly rates.
As to (I)-Weekly rates:
In respect of these rates it was contended that they should be con- verted according to the basis set out in section 8' of the Currency Act 1963.
This conversion requires the substitution of five-sixths of a cent for one penny.
It was further submitted that when such conversion has an end result of a fraction of a cent then such conversion should be made to the next higher cent.
As to (2)-Other than weekly rates:
In respect of these rates it was contended that they should also be converted according to the same basis as weekly rates except that fractions of cents should be expressed in three decimal places, the third decimal to be increased by one where the fourth decimal is five or more-if less than five the third decimal to remain unchanged.
Generally, advocates for Unions of Employees supported the proposal of the Crown.
One other scheme of conversion was submitted to us for consideration during the hearing.
This scheme provided for conversion of all money amounts shown in Awards to exact arithmetical equivalents-amounts to be shown to two decimal points, the second decimal point to be increased where the third decimal point is five or more; where a final amount to be paid to an employee results in a fraction of a cent in excess of point five (·5) of a cent payment to be made to the next cent.
It is this latter scheme which has been suggested as the scheme to be adopted in Commonwealth Awards.
There are some Awards of this Commission which already provide for payment to three decimal points of one penny for both hourly rate workers and pieceworkers or contract workers, and we think it will be necessary on this account to extend these amounts in the conversion to decimal currency to three places of decimals.
In addition, when making calculations on such things as allowances and the hourly rates and rates for piecework and contract it is obvious that calculation on a base of three decimal points will produce a more accurate result than when a base of two decimal points is taken.
We also think it preferable to show weekly rates as whole amounts and not amounts taken to two decimal points.
We propose to adopt the suggested Order presented by the Crown and to make a general ruling in the terms thereof.
ORDER
(i) That all Awards and Industrial Agreements be varied by deleting all references to amounts of money in the currency provided for by the Coinage Act, 1909-1947 of the Commonwealth and by inserting in the stead of every reference so deleted a reference to an equivalent amount in the currency provided for by the Currency Act 1963 of the Common- wealth calculated subject to paragraphs (ii) and (iii) of this Order, on the basis set out in section 8 of that Act;
(ii) That in the case of weekly rates and rates prescribed in respect of a period in excess of a week, where the equivalent amount of money in the currency provided for by the Currency Act 1963 of the Common- wealth calculated on the basis set out in section 8 of that Act includes a fraction of a cent that fraction shall be deemed to be 1 cent;
(iii) That in the case of rates other than the rates specified in para- graph (ii) of this Order, where the equivalent amount of money in the currency provided for by the Currency Act 1963 of the Commonwealth calculated on the basis set out in section 8 of that Act includes a fraction of a cent that fraction shall be expressed in the reference to such equivalent amount as a decimal fraction of 1 cent taken to 3 decimal places (the numeral of the third decimal place being increased by 1 in the event that the numeral of the fourth decimal place is 5 or more) ;
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(iv) That any reference herein to the Currency Act 1963 of the Commonwealth shall include any Act passed in amendment of or in sub- stitution for that Act or in lieu of the coming into operation of any provision of that Act and whether passed before or on or after the date of the making of this Order.
Any reference herein to any provision of the Currency Act 1963 of the Commonwealth shall include a reference to any amendment of that provision or to any corresponding provision substituted therefor or enacted in lieu of the coming into operation of that provision by any Act passed in amendment or in substitution for that Act or in lieu of the coming into operation of any provision of that Act and whether passed before or on or after the date of the making of this Order:
(v) That this Order shall come into force on and from the 14th Fe-bruary, 1966.
6th September, 1965.
HARRY J. HARVEY.