A SHORTER WEEK

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1931, Page 8

A SHORTER WEEK

TO HELP UNEMPLOYED

IRONWORKERS' PROPOSAL

NEW AWARD SOUGHT

A shorter working week with the object of spreading work among more men, assisting toward a solution of the unemployed prdblem, was sought by the ironworkers of New Zealand, who discussed their case with the Ironmasters' Federation before the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. P. Hally, at Wellington to-day.

The present working week is of 44 hours, and the unions concerned, in applying for a new award, contended that a reduction to a week of 35 working hours would help considerably toward relieving the acute distress in the engineering trades. A generally higher acale of wages was submitted. The employers did not agree x with the proposed reduced working week. On the contrary, the counter-proposals of the ironmasters were that the working hours should be 8J a day, and four on Saturdays, and, further, that the employers should not be compelled to pay overtime unless the number of hours stipulated were exceeded. Under existing conditions, overtime is payable if work is performed outside certain hours. The employers sought agreement to their proposal that shifts could be worked at any time during the twenty-four hours of the day without the payment of overtime, provid-. ing always that tho stipulated daily hours were not exceeded.

The application for a new award was filed by the Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades' Industrial Association of Workers (New Zealand Council),, the New Zealand Iron and Brass Moulders' Federation, and the New Zealand United Boilermakers' and Iron, Ship, and Bridge Builders' Federation.

The unions were represented by the following:—Engineers: .Messrs. G. T. Thurston, agent (Christchurch), A. J. Rice (Dunedin), and A. Black (Wellington); boilermakers, Messrs. P. E. Warner (Wellington) and' Farmer (Christchurch); moulders, Messrs. J. Hull, (Christchurch) and J. Thompson (Dunedin).' The employs' case was presented by Messrs. T. O. Bishop, secretary of the Ironmasters' Federation, James Cable, and A. 0. Mitchell (Wellington), G. .Pascoe (Christehurch), George Grey (Dunedin), and B. C. ; Porter (Auckland). /

The negotiations are proceeding, and will probably occupy the whole of today, and the council may possibly, have to sit to-morrow as well.