FACTORIES BILL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 23 May 1936, Page 13

FACTORIES BILL

PASSED BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

SIX-DAY WEEK FOR DAIRY INDUSTRY (From “The Mail’s” Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON. This Day. The Factories Amendment Bill was passed by the Legislative Council yesterday. The Council met at 11 o'clock, when the committal of the Bill was moved by' the Leader of the Council (the Hon. M. Fagan). MV Fagan said that the Bill had been brought in as a consequence of the amendments made to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, The workers in dairy factories had been asking for a six-dav week for twenty years, and he was pleased that dairy workers had at last succeeded in securing their Sunday off. It was tlie aim of the Government to discourage overtime as much as possible.

The Hon. F. Waite doubted whether the number of dairy factories to receive benefit from the exemption in the Bill would actually be the number which the Government estimated. He contended that the Bill would increase costs, and would have the effect of turning small cheese factories into butter factories. He gave notice of bis intention to move that the exemption from the six-day week should apply to dairy factories or creameries where there was a minimum of three workers and not two, as provided in the Bill.

The Hon. .T. Cotter said he expected that boards of directors would fall into line, and the little bit of extra cost would not have a material effect.

The Hon, T. O’Byrne said that the Bill would rectify the position in dairy factories where youths were doing men’s work. CHANGE IN PRODUCTION The Hon. J. McLeod said that serious notice had to be taken of the danger of the change-over from cheese making to butter making. He hoped, with Mr Waite, that the exemptions would be extended.

The Hon. R. McCallum considered that every encouragement should be given to cheese factories. Would the Minister reconsider assisting small cheese factories ?

Replying, Mr Fagan dealt with the point raised by Mr Waite, and said that the Government thought, because of the improved conditions that would ensue from tlie guaranteed price, that owners of factories would be able to stand up to the position. In Committee, Mr Waite moved to increase the exemption for the very small factory. There might be a heavy financial loss to guarantors if factories were closed down, lie said, Mr Fagan said that he could not accept the amendment, but lie would be prepared to have an inquiry made as to whether there would be any financial hardship, and, if so, an amendment could be brought down in the House. The amendment was lost on the voices.

Mr McLeod moved to delete the clause which stipulated that wages were not to be reduced on account of a reduction in working hours. He pointed out that such a clause was hardly fair to employers. The Hon. T. F. Doyle said that the clause protected the decent employer. Mr Fagan said that a certain type of employer was already taking steps to supplant his labour with cheaper labour. The amendment was lost on the voices. The Hon. F. Waite asked whether newspaper employees employed on a Sunday would receive double time. Mr Fagan replied that everybody employed on a Sunday would receive double time. He said that the employers had agreed to the payment of double time on Sunday. The Bill was read a third time and passed.