LIGHTER CLOTHING WANTED

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28472, 30 December 1957, Page 12

LIGHTER CLOTHING WANTED

Sydney Workers* Demands

(N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, December 27.

The record high temperatures this Christmas have triggered off demands by trade unions that Australia’s notoriously over-dressed males be permitted to wear lighter clothing.

Postal workers, police and railwaymen are supporting a move by the Shop Assistants' Union that heavy “blue suits” and wintertype uniforms be replaced for summer by alpaca, or similar light clothing. The secretary of the Shop Assistants’ Union, Mr E. C. O’Dea, said today: “There is nothing wrong with alpaca coats, which used to be popular with Indoor workers and looked very dressy. A neat safari jacket would not look out of place behind a shop counter,” he said. In most city stores male shop assistants wear heavy winter suits and women wear black dresses. Sydney postal workers are to press for a change in their union award next month, allowing them to wear shorts and short socks. At present, even in those towns where postal workers may wear Shorts, long socks are compulsory. The State secretary of the Postal Workers’ Union, Mr J. N. Lynch, said today that knee-length socks were a relic of Victorianism. His union wanted ankle-socks and shoes to be made a part of the Government issue.