NIGHTWORK IN WAREHOUSES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13545, 19 March 1906, Page 5

NIGHTWORK IN WAREHOUSES.

TnR proceedings at the inquest which was reported in our issue of Saturday morning raise once more the question of the extent of the nightwork that is required of the employees in some of the local warehouses. We may say at once that in this particular case, exceedingly sad though it is, the evidence does not justify the conclusion that the state of health into which the deceased had unfortunately fallen was ascrihable to overwork tit his office. He seems clearly to have allowed himself to worry over his duties and over his position. We should judge, however, that he w as quite needlessly concerned about them. He had various trials: the evidence shows that he had been unfortunate in speculation, losing most of his savings, and that he was a great deal exercised over the ailments of his children. It is quite conceivable in these circumstances that a state of mind would be induced in which the ordinary harassment* of business would present themselves to his imagination in an exaggerated form and in which trifles would be magnified into grave portents of evil. At anyrate, though it would appear that lie was frequently employed in his office at night, the evidence does not surest that the long hours of which complaint was made were compulsorily forced upon him. It is impossible, however, to shut our eyes to the fact that a large amount of nightwork is demanded by some warehousemen from their employees. To some extent nightwork is unavoidable, 'there is no escape from it during periods of stock-taking, which in certain branches of trade is a protracted and decidedly irksome task, and the necessity for the preparaticn of indents may also be pleaded as a justifiable cause for the detention of employees, occupying more or less responsible positions, for work periodically on a few nights prior to the despatch of the Home mails. The impression is certainly current, however, that the work which is required of warehouse employees at night is not altogether unavoidable, and the complaint is frequently heard that in various establishments there is a distinctly excessive amount of nightwork, due, it is suggested, to the employment of an insufficient number of hands, and consequently to tho imposition of an unreasonable amount of work upon the staff. We should like to think that there was no foundation for the allegation that such evils- as these exist, but we are afraid that there is some ground for the belief that nightwork is required in some businesses to an extent that is not justifiable. It is possible that in some cases the actual proprietors of the businesses are not aware of the frequency of tlie demands that are made upon their employees for the performance of work after the hours at which the warehouse premises are closed. If so, it cannot be too strongly insisted thai they should make themselves acquainted with the details of tho hours which their employees are required to devote to their service. It h impossible to contend that it is for the benefit of the community that a system of long hours of employment should, except for valid reasons, such as the taking of stock, be sanctioned in warebouses, and we should like to see the employers exercise scrupulous care to prevent the existence of any abuse of this kind.