48-HOUR WEEK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 117, 20 May 1942, Page 6

48-HOUR WEEK

MAN-POWER PROBLEM

BUSINESS MEN'S VIEWS

The reintroduction of the sixday 48-hour working week, with provision for reversion .to the 40----hour week after the war, was strongly advocated by speakers at last night's meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. It was. contended that the universal working of the extra hours would alleviate many of the current man-power problems, and would make for greater unity in the war effort. There was not entire agreement on a suggestion' that the extra money so earned by the workers should be diverted to war savings. .

Discussion arose out of the tabling of a letter by Mr. R. H. Nimmofrom the Director of National Service (Mr. J. S. Hunter) regarding the, calling up of women in the 20-21 age group. v TMr. Nimmo said this question had caused a good deal of concern and heartburning in the business community, which wanted to know what was the real position regarding man-power so that they could face up to it. "We are all faced with the problem of depleted staffs, and the continued calling up of more and more men," said Mr. Nimmo. "We do not know when it is going to stop, though that will depend,* of course, on the degree of emergency with which the country is faced." FEMALE LABOUR. Mr. Hunter, in his Jettei\ said that the administrative machinery which had been set up to give effect to the redistribution of female labour had been operated through district manpower officers located at all the main centres. "While those officers are given a wide .discretion in the selection of girls for direction into essential work there are certain definite principles which have been laid down for their guidance," continued the letter. , "For example, the direction of young girls into distant work away from their homes has been avoided wherever possible. Again, volunteers are invariably given precedence, and compulsion has been insisted on only where its exercise has been unavoidable. "Nucleus staffs have been protected to some extent, even in nonessential firms, so that normal working can be quickly resumed after the war. "While the public interest and the winning of the war are over-riding considerations which must be properly studied, genuine hardship and sacrifice are avoided wherever possible. It is inevitable in a war situation that much inconvenience and sacrifice must be borne by the community as a whole, and 'it is the policy of, the Government that this sacrifice should be spread as widely as possible, so that no one particular section of the community will have been called upon to bear more than its due share of the burden of the war effort.", WORK ON SATURDAYS. Mr. M. G..C. McCaul said that their difficulties would be largely overcome if the hours of work were extended, and everyone worked for eight hours on Saturday. 'If we had a 48-hour week many of our troubles would be solved." he said, "and if after the war we reverted to the 40-hour week the jobs Mould be waiting for the men when they came back. We have all .this, organisation set up to economise hi man-power when the real trouble is that., we are not working normal hours." Mr. W. S. Cederholm pointed out that in essential and defence industries a 54-hour week was being worked. Mr. Frank Wilson said that unless they made the extension universal they; would get nowhere. The chairman (Mr. A. L. Wall) suggested that the extra nioney earned, oy the workers through working longer hours should be put into war savings. The nation would benefit by the longer hours worked," and the individual would benefit by his savings. At the present time an employer had to prove why he had to work. longer hours. "We have come to the stage when it should be incumbent on the employer to prove why he should not work the longer hours." said Mr. Wall. "I agree that we should adopt the principle of the straight-out 48-hour week." Mr. Nimmo said that the position regarding office staffs was so acute that the Government should step in and extend the hours of work immediately. Mr. W. H. Hindle suggested that the Government should see if it could eliminate'some of its superfluous Departments and its superfluous Government servants. There .were a lot of them in Wellington, and; he did not doubt that they had their opposite numbers in other centres. "Ther,e are about 800 trade union secretaries," he said, "and I would be in favour of giving them a real job to do for the first time in their lives." OFFICE PEOPLE BLAMED. Mr. Frank Campbell said that the 40-hour week had gone overboard, but the five-day week had not. He blamed the office people for much of the trouble by working only the five' days.. Mr. McCaul: My office works six days a week. Mr. Campbell: I know. You always have. He went on to point out that with an office staff of 20 an extra eight hours would mean 160 additional hours a week. "Let three or four of them be dismissed and sent to the Placement Office," he suggested. "It would soon place them in essential work. A six-. day week would make for greater unity. Everyone should work the 48----hour week, and let them do what they liked with the extra money." Mr. N. S. Hunt said that the extra money should be diverted compulsorily to war savings. It would be better for the workers in the long run. Mr. Campbell: They pay 12J per cent, wages tax now. How much more do you want to divert? s . Mr. McCaul: That is compensated for by the increase in wages.