56-HOUR WEEK

Grey River Argus, 15 December 1942, Page 1

56-HOUR WEEK

Australia’s Maximum

SYDNEY, Dec., 3. A maximum working week of oo hours, including overtime, has been enforced througout the Commonwealth of Australia as from November I. Until the end of October th< maximum was 60 hours, including overtime. „ The Minister for Labour (Mr. L. J. Ward) announced that these hours would apply to all manual workers engaged in industrial processes, and to an v other classes of employees to whom the limitation may be extended The 56-hour week may be exceeded to meet unforeseen emergencies, but not more often than three times by any person in anv three months. Mr Ward said the maximum hours plan had been adopted after discussions with the Federal Government’s expert advisers on production to minimise industrial fatigue and effect maximum production. It had been decided that the most effective output couffi be obtained from essential machines bv working three shifts covering 24 hours In regard to women’s working hours, it was regarded as impracticable to limit them to 52 in all cases, as proposed by the unions; but it was considered desirable to restrict them to 52 wherever practicable, and the Labour Department would ask employers to conform with this rule.