A FIVE-DAY WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 228, 24 September 1918, Page 7

A FIVE-DAY WEEK.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —The new departure in the hours of factories just inaugurated is a distinct advance towards ideal labour conditions. Aβ one in touch with the workers of Auckland I am satisfied that the scheme has come to stay, and that employers will find the change beneficial from both a health and commercial basis. But why stop at factories ? Have not the many thousands of shop assistants a similar right to the benefits to be obtained by the application of the system to shops and warehouses? It was stated by an employers' representative when interviewed regarding the reasons for adoption of the five .'days' work scheme that one of the reasons for the factory owners adopting the id°a was to enable the workers to shop on a Saturday morning. This is a side issue, and surely an unnecessary one; the thousands of shop assistants employed in and around the city manage to get their shopping done in their lunch hour without asking another section of workers to Wjotk...longer home-for their-benefit: also, there is the Friday late night; and in these days of electric light and incandescent gas there is no real necessity for daylight to select the poods required. The improvement in health and general efficiency to be gained by the general ndoption of this scheme is obvioua to all students of modern commercial life, and instances of shorter hours and greater output in the manufacturing world are frequent. I trust that some of our leading firms who are known to have their employees' welfare and interest at heart will lead the way in what ia sure to come sooner or later, by announcing their intention to extend the scheme to their retail businesses.—l am, etc., DRAPER'S ASSISTANT. (To the Editor.) Sir, —Tn reference to the "five days" week recently granted to factory girls I cannot refrain from making an appeal on behalf of the shop girls of this city. Host shop assistants work, not only on ' Friday night until 9 p.m., but also until 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Consequently, by the time they are prepared to go out the good of the afternoon is gone. Are they to have no concessions? A large majority of the factory girls will now utilise Saturday morning for shopping purposes, thus adding greatly to the duties of their less fortunate sisters. Shop assistants work equally hard, and in addition to this have to stand for hours behind a counter. Why should the late night not be abandoned? If this is an impossibility I cannot see why they should not cease work at 12 noon, instead of 1 p.m. on Saturday afternoon.—l am, etc., SHOP ASSISTANT.