CIVIL SERVICE.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 March 1926, Page 7

CIVIL SERVICE.

NO SATURDAY WORK. CONFERENCE DECISION. The Public Association of New South Wales carried a resolution recently that the Government be requested to eliminate work on Saturday mornings in all Government departments wliereever practicable, and that the time so involved should be distributed -over the other five days. At a later, stage, however, the matter was recommitted, and it was decided by a large majority to leave the association free to negotiate with the Government with a view to securing the dispensing with Saturday work under the best possible conditions. Increased hostility was displayed towards the suggestion that the hours worked on the five days should be increased. Mr, A. W. Schey, in moving the original motion, said the issue had been raised by the adoption throughout the State of a. 44-hour week, and in many departments, particularly (hose engaged in construction work, the five-day week had been introduced, with a consequent increase in the hours' worked daily. Officers should work in the same hours as the men whose work they were superintending. They were not asking for a reduction of hours, and after all the Government had given them a lead. If it was good for the labouring man, it was equally good for all branches of the service. What was “sauce for the goose” was “sauce for the gander.” If the suggested change were brought about it would' mean the addition of 40 minutes per day, hut this would he no great hardship as it would mean no Saturday work. For instance, instead of working from 9 a.m., to 4,30 p.m., they might start at 8.20 a.m., or as an alternative they might commence at 10 minutes to 9 and finish at o p.m. Mr. Cosgrove, seconding the motion, said the man who opposed it was a crank. A man who said he wanted to work on Saturdays was a fool. He considered the association should set the Government an example by closing its own offices on Saturdays..

Mr. Otton said the Town Hall was doing without Saturday work without increasing hours on' other days. Industrial concerns, and certain insurance offices also were doing without Saturday work without inconvenience or loss. Shopping hours had been reduced, so that members of the service, ejjen with their present hours, experienced difficulty in transacting their private business. When they managed to enter the shops they found them so crowded that they had to leave without being served. In any case the three hours work on Saturday mornings involved in some cases three hours’ travelling. SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. Mr. R. C. Huntley said that emphasis had been laid on the motion of the association “to serve the State. ’ ’ He admitted that certain departments could close on Saturdays without inflicting hardship on the community, but it had to be remembered that public departments were fop the use of 1 the public, so that they could obtain information the posession of which was essential. If they curtailed the time in which the , public could obtain information they would be doing something which might have a detrimental effect in more ways than one. It might be foolish to ask for something that might have a boomerang effect. Miss Stuart Robertson said leading authorities held that two days a week for recuperation and recreation were essential. Burrows (Narrabri) said the motion was unworkable so far as the country districts were concerned. Country people found it most convenient to transact their business on Saturdays. If the hours involved were tacked on to the other days a future Government might decide to retain the lengthened hours, and at the same time reintroduce Saturday work. THE BOTANIC GARDENS. Mr. E. Oheel urged members to give the matter very careful consideration.He instanced the Botanic Gardens, where 700 hours had been cut off for their upkeep. The directors made overtures to the Government to provide the money for the additional men necessary to keep the gardens in the same high state of efficiency that had prevailed for the past 30 or 40 years, but the Government had not complied with the request. If the five-day week were introduced the . plants _ would have to exist from Friday night to Monday morning without water. Mr. A. J. C. Patton: Oh, the grass may grow a little longer, and the plants get a little drier, but it won’t have a material effect on the gardens. Mr J. Brown said the conditions under which they worked were more trying than those applying to employees outside the service. They had a lot more work to do. It would be very unwise to suggest that thenhours on the five days should he extended. This might be used against them in the future. It was a matter of self-preservation. After all the Government should realise that there was considerable unemployment, and act accordingly. The responsibility rested on the Government. He moved as an amendment that the reference in the motion to the hours being increased on the five days be deleted. Mr • El. H. A. Booth seconded the motion. THE HOURS WORKED. Mir. W. A. Flynn said that references to the 44-hour week were illtimed. as the Public Service generally only worked 36J hours a week. In actual fact they only worked 351hours. They started at 9 o’clock and finished at '4.30 p.m., after taking three-quarter hour off for lunch. He believed the practice in most instances was to take an hour. (Dissent.) In

the majority of cases this was soSurely this was an equitable distribution of hours, and. was not some consideration to be given to the public. If they were working 48 hours a week he would support the motion. They should be careful lest they lost the support of the moderate element of the community, which, after all, ruled the country. Mr. J. Doughan supported the motion, but agreed that they should not run counter to the public interest. They merely were askitig for an adjustment of hours. The amendment was lost and the motion was carried by 36 to 17. INDEPENDENT APPEALS TRIBUNAL.

By a large majority a resolution was carried that ail independent court ot appeal should be made during the current session. An amendment that in the event or the Government being unable to introduce immediately the necessary legislation to give effect to Public Service representation on the appeals tribunal, it should be asked to postpone the sittings of the tribunal until reconstituted, was overwhelmingly defeated.