5½-DAY WEEK IN BRITAIN PROPOSED

Grey River Argus, 14 October 1949, Page 5

5½-DAY WEEK IN BRITAIN PROPOSED

LONDON, Oct 12.

'l?m Daily Telegraph says that, as a result ■'*’ a suggestion by Mr J. H. Jones. Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply, that trade unions should agree to a working week of five days and a half tO' assist production, the Government may order a special Inquiry into the extension of overtime in 80 major British industries.

The inquiry will relate particularly to coal mining, cotton textiles, engineering, printing and book-binding bleaching, and dyeing, shipbuilding and repairing, furniture manufacturing, and Post Office engineering. The daily Telegraph says that if the inquiry showed that a five-and-a-half-day week could be worked with advantages in these industries the unions and the Trades Union Congress would be asked to co-operate in obtaining the worker,s approval for extended hours.

As a result o an appeal by their secretary, Mr Sam Watson, who is also this year’s president of thee Labour Party, the miners in 30 Durham collieries have agreed not only to work on Saturday mornings, but to work an extra half-hour a day. The other 118 collieries on the Durham field are expected to follow this lead. “The mens cecision shows that they realise how serious the country’s nosition is,” said Mr Watson. “Their willingness to sacrifice privileges for the time being gives a lead not only to the whole coalfield, but to the workers in rvcrv major industry.”