FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 221, 15 June 1936, Page 10

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

“Would Put N.Z. Factories Out of Running”

MANUFACTURERS’ FEARS

“It is clear that the workers' representatives are not yet alive to all the implications of increasing the costs of manufacture in New Zealand, at leas', in the absence of, or in advance of. some adjustment of the tariff.” said Mr. A. W. Nisbet, who, with Mr. J. Abel, returned on Saturday from Auckland from attending a sitting of the Conciliation Council for the Wellington Softgoods Industrial Union of Employers. It was not realised, lie added, how small was the existing margin when New Zealand manufacturers were forced to quote prices in competition with the importoil article; and it was certain that, in many instances, the increased costs would put New Zealand factories out of the running. At the same time, there was no opposition on the manufacturers’ side to the principle of raising wages, provided only that the higher standard in New Zealand was covered and protected against Hie competition of overseas factories which were still working at the lower standard of wages.

Mr. Nisbet said that, during the Auckland sitting of the Conciliation Council. Hie manufacturers of shirts, pyjamas mid underwear had asked for the introduction of the -10-hour week in that industry to be deferred until January 1, 1937. "The fact is,” he said, “that orders have already been booked, some of them months ago, for delivery up to the end of this year, mid at prices based on existing costs of production. The manufacturers therefore urged that they should at least be allowed until the end of the year to work off their booked orders.” < >n the failure of the parties to arrive at an agreement in Conciliation Council. the question will now be determined by the Arbitration Court.