N.Z. 40-HOUR WEEK

Grey River Argus, 16 June 1936, Page 5

N.Z. 40-HOUR WEEK

HOSTILITY AT GENEVA From Employers’ Spokesman (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON. June 1.4.

“The Times” Geneva correspondent says: Air. Mitchell. New Zealond employers’ delegates at the International Labour Conference, attacked the 49hour week proposals as threatening serious repercussions in New Zealand, which, owing to the vulnerability of her extensive export trade, was less able than anv other country in the world, to introduce the drastic experiment of mandatorily maintaining the rate of pay previously earned in the 44-hour week. The passing of such a proposal into laW would send God’s Own Country at fop speed to the devil, an unenviable experience which he hoped she would be spared. Mr. Savage’s Comment EFFECTS OF MACHINERY. WELLINGTON. June 15. “There are some people who refuse to admit that machines are doing the work of men,” said the Prime Alinister. Rt. Hon. AL J. Savage, when the cabled report .of the comments made at the International Labour Conference in Geneva by Air A. C. Alitchel; (New Zealand dolegate) on the working of the forty-hour week in New Zeala.nd, were referred to him this evening.

Air Mitchell is an omplovor.’ ’ representative on the New Zealand delegation to the conferenc. “Air Afitehell says that the fortyhour week will sand God’s Own Country at top speed to the devil.” Air Savage said. “That is his opinion, hut for years now, machines have been, displacing men from industry. Production is increasing, and loss human labour is required. The only wav in which to meet this situation is to maintain the average men’s standard of living, or to improve it. if possible; and. nt the same time, see to it that he works a shorter work’ng day. a shorter working week, and ultimatelv. a shorter working life. I would like anyone in Geneva, or awnyhere else, to prove that that is wrong! Some people appear to object to reductions in working hours, because they hold that the working man is not fitted tn use- any additional leisure which would be provided for him. There are plenty of leisured people to-day, who seem to bo able io enjoy their leisure to the full, and. at any rate, as working hours are reduced, it will bn the duty of the Government to provide facilities to ensure that the working man will be able to make profitable' use of his increased leisure. ’ ’

HOTEL WORKERS

New Conditions CHRISTCHURCH UNCERTAINTY. CHRISTCHURCH. June 15. Proprietors of hotels in the city, and doubtless proprietors in other centres as well, had a busy time over tho week-end trying to readjust their staffs to a new set of working conditions, which, they believed, were to come into operation to-day. Each of them had received a copy of the new conditions on a large sheet, under the heading “New Zealand LicensedHotel Employees —Award.” It was stated that certain vital pro-'« visions in the award seemed to conflict with provisions governing hotel workers in the Shops and Offices Amendment Act. It was also stated tho “award was apparently not an award at all. since it was not signed by a Judge of the Arbitration Court and did not bear the imprint of the Government printer. The hotel workers arc- already under an award which has several months to run, and proprietors in the city did not kpow yesterday what steps had been taken, or wore to be taken, to have this award cancelled. Uncertainty about the position began over the term of the “award.” Tho last clause said that it would come into force on June 15th, which is to-day. and continue until April Ist, 1937. One of the proprietors, after reading this, consulted section 13 of the Shops and Offices Amendment Act, wlreh limits tho hours of employment in hotels and restaurants. Sub-seetion 7 of this section says: —“This section shall come into force on the first day of September, 1936.” This proprietor was then in doubt whether he was bound to introduce a 44-hour week today or not until September Ist. and to add to his confusion, there was a statement in the newspapers on Saturday, supplied by the employees’ union, saying that a 44-hour week would apply to nlf workers from Monday and that that number of hours had to be worked within six days of the week after that date, but within five and a-hali davs of the week after July Ist. * A conference between some or those affected by the new “award failed to reveal the solution to their problems, which were then passed on to Mr R. T. Bailey, officer in charge of the Labour Department, in Christchurch. He said that if the award had a clause defining the teim of its existence the clause defining teim in the Shops and Offices Amendment Act would not apply. “That would be the situation if tho award had received the sanction of the Court.” he said, and then went on to state that if it were an award it would hear the imprint of. the Government printer, which it did not. After this, he said he was no. prepared to give a ruling on the position until to-day, when he could consult documents in his office'. Tn the meantime, the hotel proprietors went on with their readjustments, drawing up new time-sheets, planning a newroster of duty, and so on. Tliey were preparing to begin under the new conditions to.-dny, although they did not know whether they would be obliged by law to adopt some of thorn' until September Ist. The now conditions, which have hecn issued by the United Licensed Victuallers’ Association of New Zealand and the Now Zealand Federated Hotel land Restaurant Employees’ Association of Workers, provide for_ increases of from 5 to 7-J per cent, in wages. It is

said larger staffs will have to be kept. Th 0 increases in overhead costs are, of course, substantial in large hotels. The engagement of extra staff was another matter which was giving proprietors much concern over the weekend. Some of them had appointed additional assistants and had then to consider the possibility of not needing them until September Ist.

When Air J. O. McGillivray, secretary of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association, was consulted, ho said that the 44-hour week would have to be worked over six days up till September Ist. and over five and a-half days after that date.

The change on Sejjjembor Ist will apparently be brought about by compliance with a clause in section 13 ol tiio Shops and Offices Amendment Act, reducing the daily hours of duty from ten to eight.