FORTY-HOUR WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22964, 20 August 1936, Page 16

FORTY-HOUR WEEK

MARTHA MINE WORKERS ARBITRATION COURT'S DECISION (Per United Press Association) , WELLINGTON, August 19. The decision of the Arbitration Court in an application to amend the Martha gold miners' agreements was announced to-day. The judgment states: We • have carefully considered the whole of the evidence called and the submissions made on behalf of the parties, and we have come to the conclusion that it has not been established that it would be impracticable to carry on efficiently the work of the in dustry in question on a 40-hour week. We therefore make an order that the maximum number of hours (exclusive of overtime) to be worked in any week by any worker bound by any of the agreements shall be 40, and the agreements will be amended accordingly. Work on Saturdays will be permitted. .The order will come into force on September 1. ' SHIPS'' CARPENTERS FORTY.FOUR HOUR WEEK •FIXED (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 19. Applications for an amendment of the New Zealand carpenters and joiners on • ship work industrial agreement were granted by the Arbitration, Court in a reserved judgment to-day.. The court fixed a 44-hour week and permitted work on Saturdays. The order comes into force on September 1. ... The employees' representative (Mr A. L. Monteith) dissented. Mr Justice Page said that ship repair work as a rule was urgent. The acknowledged purpose of the workers in the application was to obtain not a reduction of weekly hours but a limitation of the working week to five days so that work on Saturdays might be claimed, for at overtime rates. It was clear that for the efficient carrying on of the industry work must proceed on Saturdays. In the court's view it was impracticable to carry on efficiently the industry. of shiprepairing, and fitting and of dock work with a working week limited to 40 hours.