WORKING HOURS AND WAGES

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27988, 7 June 1956, Page 11

WORKING HOURS AND WAGES

N.Z. AND OVERSEAS CONDITIONS

"The Press" Special Service

WELLINGTON, Jyne 6. Comparisons of hours worked by and wages paid to factory workers in New Zealand and in Britain and other exporting countries, notably Hong Kong, were made by the general secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation (Mr A. R. Dellow) today in his submissions to the Board of Trade at its tariff inquiry. Mr Dellow listed normal weekly working hours as follows:—New Zea land, Australia and the United States, 40; United Kingdom, 44 to 45; Belgium. Holland. Western Germany, 48; Hong Kong, 48 to 70. Other conditions which entered into a comparison were the compulsory 10minute breaks for morning and afternoon tea, he said. The result of tea breaks was to reduce a nominal 40hour week in New Zealand to a working time of 38 hours 20 minutes.

He examined wage rates in five types of industries, and found that the percentage paid in New Zealand over the British rates varied from 68 to 135 per cent.

Hong Kong figures showed that a female in the knitting industry worked 10 hours a day for a maximum of 6s Id a day. Male metal press operators worked nine to 10 hours for a maximum of 14s sd. Male workers in manufacturing rubber shoes received a maximum of 7s 4d a day for nine hours’ work and females 5s a day Those engaged in making metal torch cases had a maximum rate of Ils 7d for males and 4s 6d for females. In some of the textile trades a sevenday week was worked, in others a sixday week, or workers had three days off a month, he said. In the manufacture of rubber shoes and torch cases, a standard seven-day week was worked, customary Chinese festivals onlv being observed as holidays. In many industries dormitory accommodation was supplied free to workers The equivalent rent of the accommodation was about 19s 4d.

Mr Dellow said his comoarison was not an attack on any of the working conditions in New Zealand. “The attack is more likely to come in the form of goods produced in countries which do not enjoy those same conditions.” he said.