ABSENT WORKERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26545, 21 August 1947, Page 8

ABSENT WORKERS

CITY FACTORIES N LOSS OF PRODUCTION MANAGERS ALSO SAW THE MATCH Owing to the fact that the majority of manufacturing firms in the city had made some arrangement to permit employees to go to Carisbrook to see the Ranfurly Shield match, production figures for the day dropped sharply yesterday.. Inquiries made by the Daily Times showed that in most business houses only skeleton staffs remained on duty yesterday. Not only were .the employees at the game, but also in many cpses the employers had gone, too. The manager of a large manufacturing organisation said yesterday after T noon that he was not surprised to find that straight-out absenteeism without permission had taken place. A number of employees had just taken the

afternoon off, and were apparently reconciled to receiving no payment for >t. What did surprise him, however, was that the amount of absenteeism was considerably less than he had expected. Workers’ Plan Goes Awry He added that the workers in a number of unions had reached agreements with their union secretaries and employers to take the afternoon off without payment. In at'least one case, however, where the -workers had arranged to work overtime at ordinary rates' to ■ compensate for time off yesterday afternoon, the secretary of the union had insisted that any overtime worked should be paid tor at overtime rates as laid down in the award. In one such case it is stated that the employees had actually been working the overtime beforehand. ' “ One of the most serious aspects of the absenteeism is the resultant loss of production,” a factory manager said. “ It is fortunate from that point of view that the amount of absenteeism is less than it was on some previous occasions.” Some Factories Closed Down Inquiries showed that there appeared to be no unanimity among manufacturers in respect to closing down their premises or giving their employees time off. Some manufacturers of apparel and footwear closed down entirely. Othei’s gave those of their employees who wanted to see the game the opportunity to do so, but kept the machines going for the benefit of those who wanted to work. In many factories the progress of the game was relayed to the remaining workers by house broadcasting systems. *