BRITISH WAR FACTORIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24696, 27 August 1941, Page 7

BRITISH WAR FACTORIES

A SEVEN-DAY WEEK RUGBY, Aug. 25. A recommendation that British war factories should work seven days a week was made by a subcommittee appointed by the Select Committee on National Expenditure. Workpeople should, however, have one day’s rest in seven, the committee stated, and it suggests that negotiations be conducted with the trade unions to make arrangements whereby a six-day week for workpeople may be fitted into a sevenday week for factories. The desirability of managements taking their workers completely into their confidence was also emphasised. Interesting facts relating to the great increase in output immediately following the’ fall of France were given in the report, which states that after that melancholy event the working hours were increased to as much as 72 a week and resulted in a “ remarkable increase in output.” At the end of a few weeks the output dropped, and the hours became shorter. The committee reports that a 60-hour week is still worked by some factories, and recommends that the Industrial Health Research Board should consider the question of the “ best length of the working week for a wide range of different kinds of work.”