DAIRY FACTORY CONDITIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22260, 7 November 1935, Page 17

DAIRY FACTORY CONDITIONS

Sir,—l heartily endorse "Tester's" remarks concerning the conditions under which dairy factory assistants work. 1 wonder what the civil servants would have to say if they were asked to work 56 hours a week of seven days for £3 13s, less wages tax. and superannuation, for eight months of the year? Less than Is 4d an hour against the Is 6d relief workers receive. Five years ago 56 hours a week were worked from the middle of August to the middle of March and 44 hours a week for the rest of the year. To-day it stands at 112 hours a fortnight for eight months of tho year, 96 hours a fortnight for two months and 88 hours for two months. Almost every industry and trade in New Zealand can give tbeir workers their one day's rest in seven, or pay them overtime for Sunday work when it is necessary to work on that day, but dairy factory assistants are faced with the prospect of nine dreary monotonous months of hard work before, they receive one day of rest. "Nemesis" wants to know where the just legislation of the country is. It seems hard to find in this case. There is no reason in the world why some of the unemployed could not be given temporary jobs in the factories and the hours reduced to 48 a six-day week. It is necessary for the factories to run seven days a week, but not necessary for the men to work seven. Interested.