40-HOUR WEEK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22481, 27 July 1936, Page 10

40-HOUR WEEK

• MOTOR MECHANICS WORK ON SATURDAYS THE COURT'S DECISION PETROL STATIONS EXEMPT A 40-hour week, with provision foi work on Saturdays, has been granted motor and cycle mechanics, other than workers in motor-car assembly lactones and petrol service stations, by the Arbitration Court in a judgment delivered by Mr. Justice Page. The judgment is on an application to amend the New Zealand (except Marlborough) motor mechanics' award and the Canterbury cycle workers award. Mr. A. W. Black appeared for the Wellington workers, Mr. A. W. Croskerv for the Canterbury workers and Mr. D. I. Macdonald for the employers. The workers concerned include motor mechanics in general garages employed in ordinary repair work, petrol sen ice station attendants, mechanics employed by passenger and goods transport companies to service the vehicles of these companies, mechanics employed by cycle and motor-cycle dealers, and mechanics employed in assembly plants assembling new cars. Public Needs on Saturday Employers in assembly plants had agreed to a 40-hour week spread over five days, and in the case of petrol service station attendants the parties have agreed to a 44-hour week spread over six days. In the remaining three classes the workers asked for a 40-hour | week spread over five days, and the employers for a 44-hour week spread over six days. "The main ground for the employers' application is the widespread public need for the servicing, adjusting and repairing of motor vehicles on each week day, including Saturday morning, and the main controversy in the caso centred round the question of Saturday work," said the judgment. "There are, we are told, over 200,000 motor vehicles on the roads. "It is shown that the majority of the large army of private owners use their cars more at the week-end than at any other time during the week and adjustments- and servicing are required frequently on Saturday morning to make the cars ready for the road. So commercial men, travellers and others, returning to their headquarters at the week-end, require their cars attended to on the Saturday, ready to start on the road again on Monday. "One of Busiest Days" "Carriers, goods transport operators, taxi-drivers and other commercial vehicle owners, earning their living from the transport industry and having no mechanics of their own, require their repairs effected promptly and cannot afford to have their vehicles held up. Saturday morning is one of the busiest days in the ordinary motor mechanic's establishment. The docking of cars is an activity also undertaken by some motor garage proprietors and the demand for this accommodation is greatest on Fridays and Saturdays. "Transport service proprietors operate ing passenger service cars, goods transport lorries and omnibuses, and employing motor mechanics to do their own repairs and servicing, have a like need for work to be done on a Saturday. Similarly, cycle and motor-cycle shops require the services of their mechanics particularly on a Saturday. "Saturday Work Essential" "In our view, Saturday work is essential to the efficient carrying on of this industry. It has not been shown to bo impracticable to carry on this industry efficiently on a 40-hour week, provided that work on Saturdays is permitted." The awards were amended to provide a five-day, 40-hour week in motor-car assembly factories; a 44-hour week, with the right to work on Saturdays in petrol service stations; and a 40-hour week, with the right to work on Saturdays for all other motor and cycle mechanics. Rates of pay on September 1 are to be adjusted so that the ordinary weekly wages of any worker shall not he reduced by reason of the shorter working hours. < CHRISTOHTTRCH TRAMWAYS AWARDS TO BE AMENDED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS CHRISTCIIURCH, Sunday The Christchurch Tramway Board yesterday adopted the 40-hour week, and awards will be amended as from September 1.