40-HOUR WEEK

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 144, 19 June 1936, Page 3

40-HOUR WEEK

SHOPS AND OFFICES

What appeal's to be a misconception about the application of the 40-hour week to workers in shops and offices was removed yesterday by the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T Armstrong). He made it clear that all workers registered under awards had the right to apply for the 40-hour week, irrespective of legislative stipuait°was pointed out to Mr. Armstrong that the general interpretation of the Shops and Offices Amendment Act was that workers under that Act could not secure anything less than a 44-hour week. The Minister said that this was a misconception. Workers registered under any award covered by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration legislation were entitled to apply, when making new award demands, for the 40-hour week. "When I stipulated a 44-hour week in the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill it was to make sure that there would be some statutory reduction," he said. "The working week under the existing legislation for those workers was 48 hours; the Bill made sure that they would secure a reduction of four hours. There is no appeal beyond that figure. They cannot be made to work longer hours by the Court. But they can still apply for even shorter hours, and if they make new demands they can now apply to the Court for the 40hour week."