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59
EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
These Agencies, which include "au-pair„agencies are licenced
annually and inspection of the records kept by these firms is carried out
to ensure that the provisions of the Act are complied, in most cases the
premises concerned are also subject to the provisions of the Offices, Shops
and Railway Premises Act, 1963.
There are 91 agencies registered and regularly inspected in the Borough.
SHOPS ACTS, 1950 - 65
The Shops Acts include the Regulation of the working hours of shop
assistants. 801 inspections were made under the Shops Acts; infringements
remedied were as follows:—
Hours of closing 7
Notices to be exhibited or amended 149
Meal Intervals not granted to Staff 2
Opening Hours of Launderettes 3
During July the appropriate Inspectors were engaged in preparing a
Register of Shops in the Central Croydon Area for the purpose of conducting
a referendum as a result of a request by the Croydon Chamber of Commerce
for 6 day trading in that particular Area. Apart from votes received by post,
much work was entailed in obtaining as many votes from shopkeepers as
possible in the defined voting area. As a result of the referendum an Order
was made by the Council for a large number of traders to keep their shops
open for 6 days per week.
The following complaints were received during the year and investigated;—
Insufficient meal intervals for shop assistants in restaurants 2.
Selling goods on a Sunday not permitted by the Fifth Schedule
of the Shops Act 1950 1.
A complaint was received of a misleading advertisement in a magazine
specialising in the sale of pet fish and aquaria. The advertisement led the
reader to believe that a shop in the Borough conducted retail trade or business
on a Sunday. The complaint was investigated and the advertisement amended
to indicate that wholesale business only was conducted on a Sunday.
Six shops - 3 booksellers and 3 secondhand furniture businesses - were
found to be conducting business 6 days per week, being situated outside the
Central Croydon Area. After warnings given, the shops were closed on one
half day per week. One secondhand furniture shop was found open on Sundays
and the occupier instructed to close his shop on that day.