N.Z. Unionists Admit 40-Hour Week Mistake

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 September 1947, Page 2

N.Z. Unionists Admit 40-Hour Week Mistake

(Recd. 2 p.m.) _ T ~ • . MELBOURNE, This Day. ... - ...The ocreUry of ffe New Zealand FeHfe’ratibn of Labour, Mr K. Baxter, has waffled the” FeWal Coii|ress of the Australasian Council of Trade Uhions to avoid New Zealand’s 40-hour week mis- , s ... . ; . He said that New Zealand had made the mistake of Virtiially intfodticiiig two Sundays weekly by adopting a hard and fast fivedsiy 40-hiflir week.

Mi* Baxter advised the Australian trade unionists to adopt a more, elastic 40-hour week. t “We have now realised that it is' imposisble to have a straight five-day 40-hour week for all workers,” said Mr Baxter. “Wei realise that essential industries must work a seven-clay week.” New Zealand’s attempt to work a, five-day 40-hour week had caused considerable public inconvenience.

The New Zealand Government had been forced to introduce leg-

islatioh for secret ballots on the strike issue. He could not say if this was good or bad, but the New Zealand Federation of Labour had opposed it by 12 to 11 votes. New Zealand trade unionists felt tlidt the State had no right to interfere in union affairs.

He thought, however, fTfat as the New Zealand Labour Government had set up machinery for the settlement of industrial disputes it felt it was justified in protecting this machinery through’ the secret ballot.