FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22911, 19 June 1936, Page 14

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

SHOP AND OFFICE WORKERS

RIGHT TO MAKE APPLICATION FORTY-FOUR HOURS THE MAXIMUM (I’£B United Press Association) WELLINGTON, June 18. What appears to be a misconception about the application of the 40-hour week to workers in shops and oflices was cleared up to-day by the Minister of Labour (Mr H. T. Armstrong), who made it clear that all workers registered under awards had a right to apply for the 40-hour week, irrespective of legislative stipulations. It was pointed out to Mr Armstrong that the general interpretation of the Shops and Oflices Amendment Act was that workers under that Act could not secure anything less than a 44-hour week. Mr Armstrong said that this was a misconception. Workers registered under any award covered by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration legislation were entitled to apply, when making demands for a new award, for a 40-hour week. “ Whep I stipulated a 44-hour week in the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill,” the Minister said, “it was to make sure that there would be some statutory reduction. The working week under the existing legislation for those workers was 44 hours. The Bill made sure that they would secure a reduction of four hours. There is no appeal beyond that figure. They cannot lie made to work longer hours by the court, but they can still apply for even shorter hours, and if they make new demands they can now apply to the court for a 40-hour week.

STATEMENT AT GENEVA EMPLOYERS’ EXECUTIVE CRITICISED (Per United Press Associaiton) WANGANUI, Juno 18. Meinbora of the Wanganui Employers’ Association last night criticised the statement of Mr A. C. Mitchell at tho Labour Conference at Geneva that "the 40-hour week proposals would send God’s own country at top speed to the devil.” Tho opinion was expressed by members that instructions such as this by the Employers’ Executive at Wellington to their representative at Geneva would alienate what confidence still remained with the provincial associations. Members expressed the view that a new era was dawning and it behoved the Wellington executive rightly to interpret the new order into which New Zealand was entering.