Avoid Dominion's 40 Hour Week Mistakes

Northern Advocate, 2 September 1947, Page 4

Avoid Dominion's 40 Hour Week Mistakes

BAXTER WARNS AUSTRALIAN UNIONS

(Received 11.30 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. THE secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour (Mr K. Baxter) warned the Federal Congress of the Australasian Council of Trade Unions to avoid New Zealand’s 40-hour week mistakes He said that New Zealand had made the mistake of virtually introducing two Sundays a week by adopting a hard-and-fast five-day 40-hour week.

He advised Australian trade unionists to adopt a more elastic 40-hour week.

“We have now realised that it is impossible to have a straight five-day 40-hour week for all workers,” said Mr Baxter.

“We realise that essential industries must work a seven-day week.” New Zealand’s attempt to work a five-day 40-hour week had caused considerable public inconvenience. The New Zealand Government had "been forced to introduce legislation for secret union ballots on strike issues.

He could not say if this was good or bad, but the New Zealand Federation of Labour opposed it 12—11. New Zealand trade unionists felt that the state had no right to interfere in union affairs.

He thought, however, that as the New Zealand Labour Government had set up machinery for settlement of industrial disputes, it felt it was justified in protecting this machinery through the secret ballot.