Unionist’s view of 35h week disputed

Press, 4 December 1981, Page 7

Unionist’s view of 35h week disputed

PA Wellington Assertions that the 35-hour week is “an accepted way of life in Australia" have been disputed by the New Zealand Employers' Federation. The assertions were made by Mr Jim Butterworth, of the Auckland Engineers’ Union, on his return from Australia recently. The federation’s acting executive director, Mr Max Bradford, has said that the Confederation of Australian Industry had said that the situation was quite different from Mr Butterworth's picture. The confederation had said that few concessions had been made for the 35-hour, 36-hour. or 37.5-hour weeks in

Australia, although two proposals might set the trends for the future: the Metal Workers' union on Tuesday had proposed to employers that a 38-hour week be adopted as part of a 12month agreement on wages and hours and master builders' employers had proposed a 38-hour week to their employees’ trade unions, reducing to 36 hours in mid--1983. Mr Butterworth’s comment that the 35-hour week had created 10 per cent more employment and had had no effect on industry had no validity. The comment merely reflected the Australian Confederation of Trade Unions' public position on the 35-hour week issue.