44-HOURS' WEEK?

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19310, 15 May 1928, Page 13

44-HOURS' WEEK?

ENGINEERS AND CITY COUNCIL. The City Council dealt with the shift engineers' awar<l at its meeting on March oth, when it was decided to ir.creaso the .vages, but the hours and holidays were to remain as ihey were. The union was advised,. and the increase put into operation. A letter has now been received requesting that the matter bo reopened and the hours reduced from 48 to 44. The committee's report last evening stated that it was of the opinion that there were no grounds for departing from the Council's previous decision, and the union secretary had been advised accordingly Cr. G. Manning asked the committee to take the report back. The M.E.D. had agreed to certain proposals and advised the union accordingly, but as the secretary and his assistant were out of Christ-church at the time the correspondence was not answered. Cr. Manning therefore asked that the report be taken back to enable the union to present its counter-proposals. Cr. P. W. Sharpe said that the men had been met fairly and he did not feel disposed to take the repo-t back. Cr. J. W. Roberts said that it was taken for granted that the conditions had been agreed to and now the union wanted the matter reopened. This did not strike him as being correct. The Mayor (Mr .T. K. Archer) said that the discusison was one that should have taken place in committee. The men had taken wages for a number of reeks, which would make it appear that the conditions had been accepted. Cr. H. T. Armstrong suggested that the proper course to adopt would bo to invite the union's representatives to meet the committee again. In the circumstances, said the Mayor, the old wages should be reverted to until the position was settled. The report was adopted on the understanding that a final report was to be brought down.