SHORTER HOURS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22317, 15 January 1936, Page 10

SHORTER HOURS

THE W6EKING WEEK GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSAL CONFERENCE TO BE CALLED CONSULTING BOTH SIDES [by telegraph—own correspondent] WELLINGTON, Tuesday A conference of employers' and workers' representatives is to be held soon to discuss the Government's prospective changes in the existing, labour laws. The Minister of labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, who has convened the conference, mentioned to-day that the date had not yet been fixed, but it would be held in the very near future. "One of the major questions to be submitted to the conference for consideration is the contemplated shorter working week, or its alternative/' the Minister explained. "Personally, I am decidedly in favour of a 40-hour iveek. It is part of the Government's policy. The question of how it will be applied and also to what industries it can be made applicable will, of course, be one of the most important phases of the subject, and it will be gone into most carefully with the parties concerned." It was mentioned by the Minister that the shorter working week was one of the main questions to be considered at the International Labour Conference at Geneva in June, and he added that he had been giving some thought to the advisability of introducing modified working hours in New Zealand before the subject was discussed by the Geneva conference. The Cabinet had not yet decided whether New Zealand should be represented at the conference, but, in view cf Labour's attitude on the question in the past, it was more than likely, Mr. Armstrong said, that a representative would be sent to Geneva. Keferring in general terms to the problem, the Minister said he did not think the employers would object to shorter hours. There might, of course, he certain objections to the methods of application. Those were the phases which he wanted particularly to discuss with those concerned. ARBITRATION COURT RESTORATION OF POWERS DISCUSSION WITH PARTIES [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Tuesday It is the intention of the Minister of Labour, Mr. Armstrong, to make arrangements for a thorough discussion, by all the various interests concerned' in industrial conciliation before the Government puts into legislative form its proposals for restoring the powers of the Arbitration Court. The Minister said to-day that it was only reasonable that all the parties interested in the question should be given the opportunity to discuss the matters involved. "The Government knows exactly what it wants," Mr. Armstrong added, "but it also wants to make things work smoothly."