40-HOUR WEEK GRANTED

Southland Times, Issue 22992, 11 September 1936, Page 8

40-HOUR WEEK GRANTED

Tailoring Trade SATURDAY WORK FOR MEN (United Press Association.) Auckland, September 10. By a majority decision, the Arbitration Court fixed a 40-hour week for workers covered by the Canterbury, Westland and Otago and Southland Tailors and Tailoresses’ Awards. In the case of male staffs, however, Saturday work will be allowed. The employers’ representative (Mr W. Cecil Prime) expressed the opinion that an order similar to those agreed on in Otago should have been made for the whole industry, providing a 40-hour week for nine months of the year and 44 hours for the remaining three months. The majority of the Court held that a tailor’s shop, as a rule, was essentially a retail establishment and was open for similar hours. The reduction of hours to 40 per week does not apply to cutters and fitters. SUPPORT FOR GOVERNMENT CARPENTERS ON SHIP WORK. (United Press Association.) Auckland, September 9. A resolution affirming their support of the Government was passed by members of the Auckland Carpenters’ Union engaged on ship work. The resolution is: “That carpenters engaged on ship work at Auckland do not consider their action in fighting for a 40-hour week to be in any way inimical to the present Government. On the contrary, they maintain that the Government intended that the hours of all workers should be reduced and that the shipping companies had fought against this, using the Arbitration Court as their principal weapon. The men are now merely giving the Government the solid backing which was definitely asked for by Labour members in order to assist the Government in carrying out its election pledges.” POWER BOARD EMPLOYEES SHORTER HOURS FOR ATTENDANTS, LINESMEN AND TROUBLEMEN. (United Press Association.) Wellington, September 10. The reserved judgment of the Arbitration Court relating to hours of work in cheese and butter manufacturing and for the employees of power boards and electric supply authorities has been released. The Court made an order that for power station attendants, linesmen and troublemen the hours of work shall be 40 a week to be worked from Mondays to Fridays inclusive, subject to the following exceptions:— (a) This order shall have no effect on men employed in one man substations or in one-man generating stations. (b) Shift engineers may be required to work seven shifts in any week, provided that the total number of shifts to be worked in each consecutive three-weekly period shall not exceed 15. • (c) Troublemen may be worked 120 hours in three weeks, provided that such hours shall not be worked on more than 22 days in each consecutive four-weekly period. The other judgment is on an application under Section 3 of the Factories Amendment Act, 1936, on behalf of the parties to four awards and one industrial agreement relating to females in dairy factories for an extension to 44 of the weekly hours of work fixed by that section. During the hearing the employers stated that they were prepared to give

v~ ' ■■ ■ ' ■ ■ 111 ■ a 40-hour week a trial, and, therefore, the only question for the Court related to Saturday work. In the Court’s opinion work on Saturdays for these female workers is essential. The Court, therefore, made an order for a 40-hour week to be worked from Mondays to Saturdays inclusive. ' ~u