FIVE-DAY WEEK

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 93, 21 April 1939, Page 10

FIVE-DAY WEEK

SATURDAY SHOPPING

CONVENIENCE OF PUBLIC

DOMINANT FACTOR

"When the Labour Government first assumed office and brought into force the five-day week of 40 hours, it wisely decided that the application of the new law should be left to the operations of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act, as it was recognised that exceptions and reservations would have to be made in certain businesses and services if the new plan were to operate for general benefit," states the current issue of the "N.Z. Draper, Clothier, and Boot Retailer."

"In spite of this common sense and democratic idea being accepted and agreed to, there are still those who wish to establish a Saturday that will be sacrosanct for everyone and make it a compulsory holiday for every worker. As we have previously point-' ed out, the weekly 'holiday' would be, a very drab and dull sort of day if all work were prohibited, and we feel sure the workers themselves would be the first to suffer and object if their normal enjoyment of a Saturday off were interfered with. AWAEDS AND OBJECTORS. "In interpreting the Government's intentions and giving due consideration to the normal requirements of the general public, the Arbitration Court has found it necessary to vary its awards in this direction, and while the new principle of the 40-hour fiveday week has found general application and acceptance without demur by the employers and the public, in some directions it has been found inadvisable and against the public interest to enforce this restriction, with the inevitable result that certain sections have become discontented at seeing others enjoy a concession which they were denied.

"But for the most part it has been generally recognised that, where the convenience of the public demands it, some of our workers have to forgo benefits which others enjoy in order to provide that general enjoyment, and the broad principle of the greatest good of the greatest number, which is the basis of every democratic community, has to be recognised as the dominant factor in such cases. In the instance of Saturday closing the convenience of the general public must be one of these instances, unless Saturday is to become a 'dead' day and cause a general demand to spring up among the workers for some other day off in preference to Saturday, so that on their weekly holiday they could enjoy their normal activities. PRESSURE ON PARTY. "Only last spring a new award was made by the Arbitration Court governing the hours of shop assistants, and the Court decided that the 44-hour week should be retained, together with the half-day opening on Saturday morning, while considerable increases in wages were granted to offset these j conditions. Now we learn from the 'Shop Assistant,' the official organ of our N.Z. Federation of Shop Assistants' Unions, that the retired Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) had promised them legislation making Saturday closing of shops compulsory, and this issue of the unions' official] organ now publishes a portrait of the new Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb), with the caption, 'Our Hope for a 40-hour 5-day Week.'

"In a message to the union members, Mr. P. M. Velvin, president of the federation, says: 'Only through legislation can we secure some of the more important reforms considered essential to the welfare of shop assistants, and in this respect very earnest representations have been made to the Minjisters concerned. We are hopeful that favourable consideration and attention will be given to them at an early date.' MINISTER'S WISE DECISION.

"While this attitude is not exactly a defiance or repudiation of the Arbitration Court, it is the sort of thing which brings the whole principle of compulsory arbitration into contempt, and destroys confidence in its equity and impartiality. This was recognised by the new Minister, Mr. Webb, who, when he was questioned on the possibility .of the Government introducing legislation overruling the decisions of the Court, made the welcome announcement that in future before legislation affecting our labour laws was introduced the Bills will be referred to Cabinet, to the Labour Party caucus, and then to the recently-established Advisory Councils of Labour for their consideration. The Minister also proposes that these district advisory councils shall be organised into a National Council of Industry to facilitate greater unity and harmony in industry, with fuller cooperation between employers and employees. "This policy is a welcome contrast to the attitude of some of the extremists in the Labour movement, who would reach for the big stick when impossible demands are denied them. "That is why we welcome the attitude of the more reasonable and responsible men in the Labour movement, and there will be congratulations from all sections of the community for Mr. Webb when he tells us: 'The response from every part of New Zealand and from both sides to the call for unity and co-operation in industry has been excellent, both employers and employees being enthusiastic about getting together to face the problems in a united way. The Government is anxious to co-operate to the fullest extent with employers and employees in order to evolve a more practical and harmonious form of working, and 1 am informed in many quarters that as a result of that more harmonious spirit finding an expression in industry a better feeling and better results are accruing.' "