WORKERS' HOURS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19137, 5 October 1936, Page 11

WORKERS' HOURS

PRINTING INDUSTRY STEPPING* DOWN PROCESS COMPLETE AG REEMENT (Pol Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. A complete agreement in the printing industry dispute was concluded on Saturdav bv the Conciliation Council. The settlement determines the conditions of employment in one of the largest industries in the Dominion, as the two awards under review apply to newspaper printing and publishing, commercial printing, the manufacture of stationery, and associated industrial activities. The only matter referred to the Arbitration Court was the preference clause. A long sitting of the council was held last June and an agreement was then reached on most of the machinery clauses of the two awards. The proceedings were adjourned pending the decision by the Court, of Arbitration regarding hours to be worked under the Factories Amendment Act. Judgment was given by the court that the reduction of hours prescribed by the existing awards was impracticable and an order was made permitting employees in the industry to work 44 hours a week, with 42 for certain classes of clay workers and for all night workers. The question of hours of work occupied the whole of the first two days' proceedings of the Conciliation Council. The workers' representatives strongly pressed the view that the hours should-be modified, and, after a long discussion, the possibility of agreement was discovered by their acknowledgment of the principle that, in view of the complexity and variety of the conditions in the several branches of the industry, it. would be wiser to step down the hours instead of attempting to enforce a drastic alteration immediately. EMPLOYERS' PROPOSAL The employers then presented a written proposal to reduce the hours for all workers in towns with a population of over COOO 'by two .steps in October and April, each of one hour in the ease of the 44-hour workers and of half an hour for the 42-hour, workers, the prescribed weekly rates to be paid for the shorter week, and the employers to have the right to use additional hours at ordinary rates of pay. The offer propqsed that workers engaged in newspaper production should work six days and other workers five days, the maximum hours per day to be nine to enable a fiveday week to he worked. "^

As a result of a long discussion, the proposal was amended by the exclusion front its operation of stationery manufacturing and by making a reduction to 42 and 41 hours respectively as from October 8, and also by limiting to 40 hours per annum the total added time that might be, worked at ordinary rates. These provisions were incorporated in an agreement.

The employers also agreed to recommend to all employers iii- ; -tho smaller towns to roduco the actual working hours as far as possible in order to give their employees the immediate benefit and also to adjust tlioir businesses to the possibility of a compulsory reduction by further legislation. The agreement also preserves a former provision for a 10-hour day in weekly and certain country newspaper offices, and one of the new clauses permits a 10-hour day in each week for publishing workers, who are brought into the award for the first time. WAGES AND HOLIDAYS The wages were fixed at the rates for the two classifications ruling before the reduction in 1931, the only increase being that promised by employers in June for certain classes of stereotyers and rotary machinists. The holidays wore fixed tit one week annually, together with eight statutory days, and one additional day providing for Anniversary Day or its equivalent. A. new definition of "night work" was adopted for both awards. The agreement will come into force in the first working week in each factory commencing after October 8, and will continue until August 31, 1937.

Al (ho conclusion of the proceedings, the ■commissioner congratulated tbo assessors on the success of their efforts to effect a complete settlement. On behalf of the workers' representatives, Mr. C. If. Chapman said that as a result of the reasonable attitude of the employers an agreement had been reached which he would defend against the most critical members of their organisation. Although the workers hoped shortly to achieve their objective of a 40-hour week, he was confident that the agreement would bo recognised as a genuine effort by the employers to meet the wishes of the workers, and as a result a contented spirit would be restored in the in dust rv.