40-hour Week Not Wanted For Drivers

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 82, 7 April 1938, Page 8

40-hour Week Not Wanted For Drivers

Lengthy Evidence for Employers EFFECT OF TIMETABLES Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The passenger transport drivers' dispute was resumed m the Second Court of Arbitration to-day when lengthy evidence supporting the employers' case was heard, the witnesses being representatives both of . omnibus and service car services as well as rural mail cars and school buses from Auckland to Invercargill. The evidence supported the contentions of the employers that the 40-hour week of five eight-hour days sought by the workers was impracticable owing to the jjarticular demands of the services, which had to run to rigid timetables. It was also emphasised that the general application of the 40-hour week in most industries, shops and offices had intensified the peak periods for bus services in towns and cities, and that broken shifts were indispensible and could not be eliminated in favour of eight-hour daily shifts. The particular circumstances applying to services iu country centres were also outlined. It was argued that any increase in costs would be detrimental to the services. Evidence was given by Norman Berridge Spencer, managing-director of the Auckland Passenger Transport Coy.; Kenneth Goodwin Ball, manager of the bus services for the Gisborne Borough Council; Harold Coxhead, assistant managing-director of the Mount Cook Transport Coy.; Francis Edward Boulton, secretary-accountant of Newman Bros., Ltd.; Gilbert Eckroyd, Rural Mail Contractors' Association, Hawarden; Joseph Nimon, Nimon Bros., Ltd., Havelock North; and Joseph Hewton, H. and H. Motors, Invercargill. The hearing will bo concluded tomorrow.