FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21730, 12 March 1936, Page 12

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

FIVE WORKING DAYS AIMED AT DIFFICULTIES DISCUSSED BY MINISTER The introduction of the 40-hour week is provided for by the Arbitration Court Amendment Bill, which will contain a clause that within three months of the passing of the bill the court must declare a 40-hour week for, workers covered by the existing awards, according to a statement made yesterday by the Minister for Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong). In a telephone interview with "The Press" last evening he said that the aim was to introduce a five-day week, but jthat it would depend on the fac* 'tories whether this would be possible in all cases. All industries were not alike, he said, and it was impossible to say that workers in every industry should start work at 8 o'clock on Monday morning and finish at 5 o'clock on Friday evening. It wad not definitely decided how the act should be applied as yet, as it could not be applied in the •same way in every industry, and in some it could not very well be applied at present. Employers would have the right to produce evidence in court to show why the act should not be applied to their particular industries or applied in other than the recognised way. In the past the onus had been on the workers if they wished to have their hours reduced; now there would be a general reduction, and the onus of changing which would be on the employer. Mr Armstrong said that these provisions would apply to the industries under the Factories Act. It was hoped also to secure a reduction of hours under the Shops and Offices Act, which covered hotels, but it had not yet been definitely decided how this would be done.