WESTLAND SAWMILLS

Grey River Argus, 13 December 1940, Page 5

WESTLAND SAWMILLS

EXTENSION OF HOURS. UNION EXECUTIVE’S DIRECTION. At a meeting on Saturday last of the Executive of the Westland Timber Workers’ Union, the following resolution was carried: — “That it be a recommendation from this Executive that members work the 48-hour week (the extra eight hours at time and a-half rates, as provided under the regulation issued by the Minister for Labour, on the recommendation of the Extension of Hours Committee), when requested to do so by their employer, to meet the shortage of timber for butter boxes. This recommendation to be given effect to for a period of three months, or until the Executive further reviews the matter. The findings of any further revision by the Executive will be submitted to all members at once.” The Secretary of the Union (Mr F. L. Turley);, stated that copies of the foregoing direction had been forwarded to all of the mills. He also stated that at the present time there was a great accumulation of sap rimu on skids at a number of West Coast- sawmills, totalling between 500,000 and 600,000 ft., and there appeared to be great difficulty in getting shipping to take this timber. It was stated by some sawmillers, he said, that unless a clearance could be made, it was /useless cutting and stacking in the usual way so much sap timber as a bug was already attacking it at some mills.