WALKOUT AT I.L.O. TALKS

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29269, 29 July 1960, Page 14

WALKOUT AT I.L.O. TALKS

N.Z. Delegate’s Comments (New Zealand Press Association) TIMARU. July 28. World trends were for a shorter working week, but there was little likelihood of a move for an average of less than 40 hours in the immediate future, said Mr ,P. H. Wei th, who has just returned to Tlmaru after representing New Zealand workers at the annual conference of the International Labour Organisation at Geneva, Switzerland. The conference, which was held from June 1 to June 23, was attended by six New Zealanders. The Minister of Housing (Mr Fox) attended as a visiting Minister. Mr Weith said the conference adopted recommendations of a special committee on which he served that, where possible, the working week should be reduced to 48 hours, with a progressive reduction to 40. “While in some American industries the working week is as low as 36 hours, in the majority of cases it is more than 40 hours, and some people overseas work as long as 54 hours,” he said. “The 1.L.0. feels the week should be reduce wherever possible. “There would be little sense in seeking less than 40 hours until such time as nearly every country is operating the 40-hour week,” he said. A feature of the conference was the walkout of a number of coloured and white delegates when the South African Government representative rose to speak. Mr Weith was one of those who left the chamber.

“A number of coloured delegates from South Africa and elsewhere left the conference when the South African workers’ delegate, a Mr Petersen, began to speak. It was a pity they did so for they did not hear Mr Petersen make a strong attack on his Government’s racial discrimination and trade union policy, questions about which they would have been extremely interested.

“However, when the South African Government member got up to speak they again walked out, accompanied by a number of white workers’ delegates. In my case, I knew the Federation of Labour in New Zealand felt very strongly about the African question, and thought it was the right thing to do.

“The walkout was not as sensational as it might have appeared, and was accepted without a great deal of comment by the conference —it was something inevitable,” Mr Weith said.