CARPENTERS WANT HOLIDAYS SPREAD OUT

Grey River Argus, 30 June 1947, Page 7

CARPENTERS WANT HOLIDAYS SPREAD OUT

WELLINGTON, June 27.

The secretary of the Wellington Carpenters’ Union, Mr W.-A. Jamieson, announced yesterday that proposals for staggered holidays for industrial workers are being considered by the trade unions covering the building industry. A plan for the introduction of paid annual holidays for workers in the industry in January, instead of the ChristmasNew Year period, would be submitted by the New Zealand Carpenters’ Trades Federation, he said, and it was likely that the federation would recommend the scheme to the Government for early introduction. Mr Jamieson described the Christmas holidays as a “nerve-racking trial that is exhausting rather than recuperative, because the big number of workers taking their holidays simultaneously severely over-tax the travelling facilities, accommodation, etc”. The staggering of the holiday times of the various industries was a solution.

“This is not likely to be popular with some employers, who place profits before everything else, including the health of the workers who make the profits possible”, said Mi’ Jamieson. “Their objection is based on the possible disruption to their businesses if only the statutory holidays are observed at Christmas” Because of the days on which the statutory holidays would fall, this year was a good time to begin the scheme, he said, since the two weeks of the Christmas-New Year period were less broken by statutory holidays than usual.