PRODUCTION LOSSES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26532, 6 August 1947, Page 5

PRODUCTION LOSSES

SHORTER WORKING HOURS DOMINION QUOTED AS EXAMPLE Rec. 11.30 p.m. MELBOURNE, Aug. 5. Most countries of the world were still on a 44 to 48-hour week, said Mr A. Aird, who is appearing for certain employers in the Arbitration Court to-day. It was safe to say, he added, that Australia paid more for unworked time and got less productive hours annually from each worker than any other country in the world except possibly New Zealand and f'rance. Russia’s current five-year plan provided for a 56hour week. He continued that Australia was as far ahead in industrial conditions compared with other countries as she could afford to be. “Very few countries have even experimented with the 40-hour week,’’ he, said. “In those which have—except for the last few months in New Zealand, the result of which cannot yet be judged—large sections of industry have been found to require longer hours. Only the temporarily huge demands for their primary products in war-devastated countries is maintaining Australian and New Zealand economy at the'moment.” he added.