PRODUCING GAS

Evening Post, Issue 12, 14 July 1936, Page 10

PRODUCING GAS

WORKING WEEK

EXTENSION SOUGHT

QUESTION OF COST

Over forty coal gas manufacturing organisations carrying on business in New Zealand applied to the Arbitration Court today for an extension of the 40-hour week, but twenty-two of the applications from the smaller gas works were adjourned after it had been stated that they would probably be included under schedule' 2of the Factories Act.

The applications were presented by Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, secretary of the Wellington Employers' Association. The workers, who applied for a 40----hour week, were represented by Mr J. Roberts, for the Wellington Gas Company's employees, Mr.L. Glover, for Christchurcn gas workers, Mr. A. Wadham, for Auckland gas workers, and Mr. H.. Thompson, for the NewZealand Plumbers' and Gasfitters" Federation.

Mr. Mountjoy said the applications for an extension of hours had been made by forty-five or forty-seven organisations from Auckland to Invercargill, but twenty-two of the organisations, that produced under 12,000,000 cubic feet of gas per annum, did not want to proceed. Those works employed twenty-eight men among them and they had approached the Minister of Labour and had asked to be brought under the second schedule of the Act. The Minister, he understood, had agreed to- bring them under the second schedule if an agreement could be reached regarding wages. As the matter had not been settled he did not want to withdraw the applications.

An adjournment was granted. Outlining the applicants' case, Mr. Mountjoy- said the extension was asked for (1) men receiving, trimming, bunkering, or handling coal or ashes; (2) complaint men; and (3) maintenance men. The applicants asked: fa) For a 44-hour week; (b) eight hours ' on five days of the week; (c) lour hours on the day of the half-holiday; and (d) five hours to be worked continuously without an interval for a meal. Application was also msde that shift workers should be employed for six shifts of eight hours each per week with a break of forty minutes in the middle of-the shift. PRODUCING GAS. Gas producing, said Mr. Mountjoy, was a continuous process and a public requirement, the service having to be given without interruption. It was essential that the cost of production should be kept low, not only to provide cheap gas for domestic use, but also because an increase would increase the cost of industry where gas was used. By reducing the hours of a few workers the cost of gas to-many-thousands would be greatly increased. The applicants submitted that any financial benefit brought about for the good of a few persons at the expense of the mass was uneconomic and should not be countenanced by the Court.

An increase in the price of gas would lead to other means of lighting, heating, and cooking being used and a reduction in the amount of New Zealand coal mined would result. The gasproducing industry employed a large number of workers and created, employment, and, any reduction in the production of. coal would be a serious loss to the Dominion. ,

As an illustration of the work done; Mr. Mountjoy said the shift workers at the Wellington gasworks each worked 48 hours per week. Each man received one day off in every week, and. each shift worker received 12 days' holiday on full pay per annum. There were seven days of 24 hours, or 168 hours, to be worked in a week. If there were seven shifts of eight hours three men working 56 hours per week would be required. If the shift workers were limited to 48 hours three and a half men would be required, and if they were to work 40 hours four and a fifth men would be required; in effect, four men would work 40 hours and one man would work eight hours.

A further'difficulty would be created in the engine-room, Mr. Mountjoy'said, because the man in charge had to hold an engineer's certificate. He submitted that a 40-hour week for shift workers would lead to 21 men having to be paid for 52 Sundays at-double rates, nine holidays on treble pay, and 52 Saturday afternoons at time and a half pay, the cost of which would be £84 per annum per man.

Evidence on the points outlined by Mr. Mountjoy was given by Mr. M. J. Kennedy, manager for the Wellington Gas Company, and Mr. James Lowe, manager for the Auckland Gas Company. ■

(Proceeding.)