ARBITRATION COURT

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 22, 25 July 1936, Page 10

ARBITRATION COURT

HOURS OF SITTINGS

It is now a matter of history that the Legislature, while framing measures to bring about a 40-hour week in industry, worked considerably more than that number of hours, and history is repeating itself, for the Arbitration Court, which is considering claims for and against the shorter working week, has been working long hours for some time. While it cannot be said that the Court has sat for over 40 hours during any one week, the actual hearing of cases is only part of its work, decisions having to be considered outside of sitting hours.

'Since commencing the special sitting to hear applications for amendments of awards to permit the 40-hour week to be worked, or claims from employers of labour for extensions beyond 40 hours, the Court has sat at 10 a.m. on five days of the week, has adjourned from 1 p.m. to 2.15 p.m., and has then continued sitting until the cases set down for hearing were disposed of. On one or two occasions the luncheon adjournment has been curtailed and on three occasions during the past week the Court has continued into the evening before adjourning. Late sittings also occurred occasionally earlier in the sitting.

Although only' one Saturday sitting has been held so far, the Court cannot claim to work a five-day week because submissions heard during the sittings have to be considered so that judgments can be prepared and released for the information of the claimants. Over twenty of these judgments have already been issued, and while some concern single industries, others apply to related industries and are of interest to large numbers of employers and workers.