44-HOUR WEEK

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 148, 26 June 1933, Page 8

44-HOUR WEEK

NEW SOUTH WALES DECISION

UNIONS PLEASED f _ ■ (From _"TJie Post*" Representative.) SYDNEY, June 15.

■ The decision of the Full Bench of the Industrial vCommission .-of Now South' Wales that tho standard working week for tho State should be 44 hours camo as a surprise to.both employers and the unions. So far the Commission has refrained from stating its reasons, and these are awaited with interest. It is felt that the. Commission must have been impressed with the' arguments put forward by the unions in "favour of a shorter- week because there is so much unemployment. Tho unions contended, that' it was not logical tq. provide for 48 hours when so many, men were unable to obtain any work at all. The Commission has not had thevtime to traverse the arguments that were put forward at the inquiry, but felt that its.general announcement shoulfl not be longer delayed. When tho last Labour Premier (Mr. Lang) was dismissed from office tho standard hours for tho State were 44 a week,' having been.reduced from 48 by legislation. The present v Government held that the fixing of hours was not a matter f of the Parliament, and ru-appointed the Industrial Commission of three for the express purpose of considering hours, and wages. While it must be admitted that tho unions did not score 'over the wages, question, they have had a signal victory.as far as hours are concerned, and the unions acclaim the latest decision as a viudication of the judgment of Mr. Lang. Still the unions are not satisfied. More than one union official has expressed dis< appointment because tho Commission did not see', fit to make the hour per week 40. Ho said that most of the men in work today were working only 30 hours a week and were being; paid accordingly. However, the decision has exploded at least ono fallacy—that tho Commission was appointed by the Stevens Government for tho express purposo of increasing the working week.

Employers aro not anxious to discuss the decision until the full_ reasons for it are given, but they point out that Now South Wales industries will be at a distinct disadvantage as far as tho other States aro concerned, for in all thoso other States the ruling hours arc 48.. It is said that it will be difficult for ' New South Wales 'manufacturers to compete with those of other States, who will bo ablo to turn out cheaper goods. It is noteworthy, in this connection, that the Commission has reserved the right for many industries to apply to it for a revision of tho hours judgment. This is taken to mean that the Commission will be willing to grant \ exemptions from the 44-hour weok should special reasons for this be given. Therefore, if an employer can show that he will be adversely affected by,tho institution of 44 hours instead of 48, ho may be permitted to require his employees to work the long period.

Unless.it secures exemptions tho 44----hour week will fall heavily on the State, especially in the management of the railways. The enforcement of the shorter week would .mean additional expenditure of more than £400,000 a year.' tfhe Government has not yet announced its- policy, but it is difficult to see how it can disregard the- decisions of its own tribunals. i