FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 258, 28 July 1936, Page 11

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Auckland Transport Board’s Agreement With Workers ESTIMATED COST By Telegraph--Press Association. Auckland, July 27. On the recommendation of its assessors, the Auckland Transport Board to-day adopted the 40-hour week tor nit employees of the board, and a new agreement is to be drawn up for the period from September 6 next .until March 31 next. In a report on their negotiations with the union assessors the board's assessors said that the extra net cost for the seven-month period mentioned would be £20,-164. The manager, Mr. A E Ford, had made strong representations that as a matter of prudence the working of 40 hours one week and -IS the next for a trial period should receive 1 serious consideration, as this would reduce the additional cost by half. The assessors reported that aii claims by the union regarding working conditions had been satisfactorily adjusted and the union assessors had agreed to recommend to their general body the acceptance of the new agreement as drawn up. which was without material alteration to the present conditions except as to the consequential amendments arising out of the introduction of the 40-hour week. In order to meet portion of the additional costs to the board the boaid s assessors recommended that the price of workers’ weekly tickets be increased from 3/3 to 3/6; that transferable workers’ tickets be -withdrawn from issue, and that further consideration be given to the issue or otherwise of special yearly passes and other tickets. At a special general meeting of the union the'terms of the suggested agreement were accepted, said the chairman after the assessors’ report had been read. FINDING THE MONEY Board Discussion on Report Dominion Special Service. Auckland, July 27. A schedule accompanying the report stated that the estimate of £44,546 as the yearly cost of the 40-hour week, including tradesmen at the workshops, allowed for the employees’ offer to reduce their claims by id. an hour for traffic men, overhead, and depot workers, who worked on Sundays. The estimated cost for the seven months was reached after deducting a saving of £l5OO by not requiring holiday relief crews until after March 31 next year, and also taking into account an estimated revenue of £4OOO from the increased cost of the workers weekly tickets and the withdrawal of workers’ transferable tickets. The union has accepted, and it is now up to the board to decide, said the Hon. F. E. Lark, M.L.C., who presided. As chairman of the assessors, Mr. Lark presented the report. Mr. J. Sayegh said he could not agree to an increase in the price of the workers tickets. Although he approved of the 40-hour .week he would sooner see the concession cards withdrawn to effect a saving. “It is not with pleasure that I move the adoption of the report.” said Mr. E. J. Phelan. They were pledged to a 40hour week, and did not object to it, as they realised they bad to fulfil their promises, but there was the question of finance. The board had two choices—to raise a rate or to raise fares. “We are giving with one hand and taking away with the other, and it is going to be a burden.” Mr. Phelan said. “I consider that the people who patronise the trams should make up any loss that results. We have a grave difficulty ahead of us, and I do hope that whatever is done it will not be necessary to tax to too great an extent the people who use our trams.. It may mean a loss of £20,000 for the period, but we will be in a better position at the end of that time to review the question. Mr. Nagle said the whole idea of the shorter week was the re-employment of men who were unemployed under the earlier conditions. “We are the biggest employer of labour in this the largest city of the Dominion, and as.such we have a responsibility.” he continued. He held that the board had not really made a loss, and that if the figures in the balancesheet were arranged on a commercial basis it would be found that a profit capable of paving a dividend had been made. “The financial position of the . board at present enables it to take part in this great national experiment,” Mr. Nagel said. He thought it could be made a permanent institution provided they had the co-operation of the staff, the response of the public in using the trams, anti the help of the Government. The innovation would mean not merely work for an extra 140 men, but at least 500 people would be brought to. a permanently improved standard of living. Mr. Montgomerie said the increased spending power of the people must be reflected in the revenue of the trams.

Mr. Lark said he appreciated the manner in which the report had been received. The main matters guiding the board’s assessors were the social advantage to the community and the employment of about 140 additional men. Whatever course was decided upon to raise the necessary funds the people must pay, but why should the workers of the country be taxed to keep men in idleness? Mr. Lark asked. He appealed to the public to make use of the services, available, and expressed the view that by means of co-ordination the position could be met without undue hardship being inflicted on either the public or the employees. EFFECT ON APPRENTICES The possible 1 alterations in time-table caused by the operation of the 40-hour week were discussed by Mr. R. G. Riffling, director of the Wellington Technical College, in his report to the monthly meeting of the board of governors last night. “Legislation recently passed will free apprentices and others from ordinary work on Saturday morning," Mr. Ridling said. “I have no doubt that the normal youth will be able to fill the Saturday with activities that are beneficial. There will be more leisure for them, and the wise will use that time for self-improvement. The college should be prepared to assist in whatever ways are possible and desirable.

“Already art classes are conducted on Saturday, and there should now be extension of facilities for receiving instruction to other sections of our work. These are ways in which the college can assist:— “(1) Apprentices: Arrange the timetable so that work may be taken on Saturday morning in place of one or two evenings during the week If the classes were held from 8.30 to 12.30 p.m., it would be possible to eliminate two evenings’ work during the week The apprentices would come fresh to their work and from every point of view it would be to their advantage to follow such a time-table. “(2) Craft work classes: Classes in all branches of art work, in particular the crafts which will provide handicraft training such. as weaving, leathorwork. wood carving, embroidery art metalwork and etching will give people the opportunity of doing original construction work that will satisfy their requirements Hobbies p an be commenced and .developed through attendance at classes and ordinary education continuation classes can be held. “There is no branch of the work which cannot be carried out on the Saturday, and the college can undoubtedly render e

great and necessary.service if people are I repared to ask for it.” Mr. C. H Chapman, M.P., said that as a result of the new legislation, young people would probably be making arrangements to play games in their added leisure time, but an effort should be made to get them to devote Saturday mornings to study. The suggestions in Mr. Riffling s report were admirable.