POWER BOARDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 32, 6 August 1936, Page 27

POWER BOARDS

HOIJRS FOR WORKERS

AGREEMENT REACHED

■; An agreement has been reached regarding the hours of work-for power board employees, with -the , exception of those employed .at the Southland I Electric Power Board's ■ generating station at Monowai, where a 42-hour week is desired by-the board. The terms of the agreement between the employers and workers were outlined to the Arbitration Court yesterday afternoon.. . ;

I Mr. W. J. Mountjoy, who appeared for the power boards, said the representatives of the boards had conferred with their employees and had agreed to adopt the 40-hour week with the exception of trouble men, men employed in one-man sub-stations or generating stations, and shift engineers in power stations. :

b; An agreement; bod been reached, and it was suggested: that the Court should make an order to provide for 80 hours per. fortnight or 120 hours in three consecutive. weeks for trouble men.; Such an arrangement would enable the power boards to work these men according,to the varying circumstances that mightarise.' Provision was to be made so that no worker would be engaged on.more than 22 days'in every period of four, weeks.

?,n the case'ol one-man stations the workers -were- to' be 'entirely: exempt fronr.vthe;.4o-hoUr- week.-' While this might not; be: in accord with, the re^ quirements.of the .Factories. Act, the Minister of Labour had expressed his intention of placing' 'such ■■'. establishments.;within..the second schedule of the Act. -It was therefore suggested that, the Court, should. hold ;over its decision' regarding; these men' until it had been definitely decided that such workers were, to: be : included in the second schedule. - > ■'.'

For shift engineers it was suggested that a 40-hour week should be,worked, but that the engineers should work seven shifts in one week, provided that not more than 15 shifts were worked m any threV weeks. '

Mr. K. Simpson, secretary of' the Northern Electrical' Workers' Union, said-that the arrangements outlined were approved by the workers. SOUTHLAND'S CASE.

The application of the Southland Electric. Power Boar 4 for a 44-hour week for three months to enable more men to be trained and then .for a 42 hour week, was supported by Mr. E. W. Swam, secretary of the New Zealand Electrical Power Boards and Supply Association, who' presented a statement prepared1 by the board. _ Mr. Simpson said that extra men were available, and as the other boards were taking on -extra} hands Me could not see any reason why the Southland Board should not do the same. Decision was reserved.