FULL SIX-DAY WEEK

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 9 February 1944, Page 4

FULL SIX-DAY WEEK

AUCKLAND TRAMWAYMEN Auckland. Feb. 8. Members of the Auckland Transport Board traffic staff will commence working longer hours early in March, when a full six day week will come into opera tion. The longer week was decided upon at a meeting of the manpower utilization committee for tramways, following many weeks’ agitation by the Auckland Tramway Workers’ Union. In a report lo the board yesterday on the longer working hours and absenteeism. the engineer and manager. Mr A. E. Ford, said that the staff would now work about 54 hours a week, instead of the present average hours of between 48 and 50. With the board's other representative. Mr R. Armstrong, he had emphasise • that it was not in the pubHC interest to impose the strain of longer work in u hours on the traffic staff, said Mr Ford. On 3rd February, when 4 men had been absent, it had been necessary to cancel eight runs in the morning and six in the afternoon. There was no need to emphasise the necessity for operating every available tram to meet the extra heavy traffic. Referring lo the six day week, the manager pointed to the action taken recently by Sydney tramway men who found the conditions of a six-day week too onerous and who stopped running for one day as a protest. It had also been pointed out to the committee, he said, that the step would make very few men available for the Armed Forces. The only point in favour of the increase in hours was that men would not be required to carry out duties caused by absenteeism, the report continued. They would complete the ordinary working week. However, Mr Ford said, the longer hours would before long bring increased absenteeism. In view of the committee’s decision, said the chairman. Mr W. H. Nagle, the board had no option but to comply. The board was prevented from running the service as it desired in the public interest.