FIVE-DAY WEEK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 114, 15 May 1936, Page 3

FIVE-DAY WEEK.

BETTER CONDITIONS. CLASSIFICATION SCHEME. "MAN MUST MEASURE UP." (By Telegraph.—Special Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Thursday. Mention of the fact that the number of men on public works had . been increased since he assumed office from 12,000 to 10,000 was made by the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Semplc, in the course of his policy statement to-night. "The existing practice of men for public works being sent direct to the Public Works Department by unemployment bureaux in different centres and without any regard whatever to their fitness for the work or their capabilities will cease," declared Mr. Semple. "In fact, classification on existing jolw> must be done. The qualification for employment under the Public Works Department will be the ability of a man to do the job, and unless an applicant can measure up in this regard he will not be employed. Service will be demanded and there will be no room for the man who cannot do the job and who would be a burden on his mates.

"I have concluded an agreement with the New Zealand Workers' Union which will cover all employees of the Department. Under the new agreement a fiveday week of 40 hours is introduced on the public works of Ne\y Zealand, and it will consist of eight hours to be worked on each day from Monday to Friday, inclusive. Workmen will have Saturday free unless they elect to work on Saturday morning to make up time which has been lost earlier in the week owing to wet weather. Basic Rate of Sixteen Shillings. "Practically all of the \vorks which have been carried out by the Department for several years have been classified as relief works and the basic rates of pay have been 12/ a day for married and 9/ for single men. Under the new agreement all workers will in future be classed as standard works, and the basic rate of pay for labourers will be 10/ a day, and single men will receive the same rate of pay as married men. Similar increases are being granted to other classes of employees covered by the agreement. "Tho present system of co-operative contracts is to be adopted as a principle. I am a believer in the co-opera-tive contract system, which has been in operation on public works for over 40 years. It encourages men to give of their best, as they are paid by results and know that they will be paid what they earn. The prices allowed for different classes of material and work will j be sufficient to enable men of average, ability working industriously to earn j the daily rates of wages provided for | in the agreement, and although the average earnings may not exceed the standard wages it is expected that good! men will earn more than wages. Two] pays will be made each month instead of the old system of monthly pays, which was unsatisfactory. "In the past men on what are known as full-time relief of unemployment works have not been paid for statutory holidays or for any annual leave. As mentioned earlier, all works will in future be classed as standard works, and all employees with over two months' service will be paid for seven statutory holidays, as they occur each year, in addition, men with one year's service will be paid for five days' annual leavo (one week's pay), and those with two years' service or over will be paid for ten days' annual leave (two weeks' pay). '

Injuries To Workers. "Seriously Injured workmen will be conveyed to the nearest doctor and hospital "at the Department's expense. This has not always been done in the past, and has caused hardship in many instances. For some years past two men have had to share a tent, but in future each man will be provided with a tent to himself, except where cookhouses are provided on the works. N® accommodation for married men with their families has been provided for several years, but under the new agreement specially designed tent accommodation, consisting of three rooms with a stove, will be provided on works which will take more than 12 months to complete. A combined bathroom and washliouse, with tubs, copper and a galvanised iron bath, will be erected for each group of four married men's quarters. "Unconditional preference to unionists is provided for in the agreement, and all workmen employed on the construction works of the Department must join the New Zealand Workers' Union, with whom this agreement has been made," continued Mr. Semple. "The only exception will be in the case of artisans, who will not be required to join the New Zealand Workers' Union until they have been employed for two months if they already beiong to a trade union."