SHORTER WEEK YET

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 4725, 17 January 1946, Page 3

SHORTER WEEK YET

CLAIM FOR 35 HOURS WOOLLEN MILL WORKERS The first official claim for a 35-hour week in industry has been lodged by the New Zealand Federated Woollen Mills and Hosiery Factories Employees’ Industrial Association Workers. This information was given by Mr L. B. Swan, the secretary of the association, who said that at a sitting of the Conciliation Council in Wellington on February 5, 6, 7 and 8 the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie will be asked to consider the association ’s claims for a new award. One claim seeks provision for a 35-hour week in place of the 40-hour week worked at present. A slight increase in wages is also being asked for, the basis being a weekly wage instead of payment by the hour. Mr Swan said that the union’s submission was that it believed a 35-hour week was one way by which the workers could derive benclit from' tho types of machinery which were being used in tho mills and factories. Tho decision to press for„a 35-hour week was reached at the annual conference of the association at Christchurch in April, and claims for presentation to the Conciliation Council were drawn up at a further conference at Auck land in September.