40-HOUR WEEK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26096, 8 March 1946, Page 4

40-HOUR WEEK

OVERTIME FOR FARMERS EFFECT ON PRODUCE PRICES (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Mar. 7. It was impossible to provide a high standard of living in New Zealand unless everyone was prepared to work for it. A statement to this effect was made at a meeting of the Farmers’ Union to-day. A national move was, therefore, being instituted by the Farmers’ Union and the Federated Farmers to see that if the present hours of work were to continue in other industries payment for all primary produce was made on the basis of a 40-hour week, with overtime for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. A resolution to that effect was passed this morning by the Dominion Executive of the union. Calculations made in Taranaki and examined at last week's conference of the Federated Farmers showed that it would be necessary to increase the price of butter-fat to approximately 2s lOd a lb to meet the 40-hour week condition, a price which was considered to be as absurd as the Government’s legislative action in limiting the hours of production in other industries. It was reported that the milk vendors in certain districts had offered to support the farmers’ move and were prepared to charge an extra price for milk delivered at the week-ends provided the dairymen increased their charges accordingly. Calculations on the basis of a 40-hour week showed that the necessary payments over the whole range of primary produce would amount to from £40,000,000 to £50,000,000 to put it into effect. “ Those figures,” the statement said, “ demonstrate in a striking manner the total impracticability of the general application of the 40-hour week principle to an economy based on the live stock industry, where work is necessary every day of the year.” Strong resentment was crystallising among the farmers, the statement concluded. and they realised the injustice of applying penal rates of overtime to certain favoured sections when they knew it was quite impossible of application to their own industry.