BAKERS’ HOURS.

Wairarapa Age, 23 July 1936, Page 4

BAKERS’ HOURS.

FIXED BY ARBITRATION COURT AT FORTY-FOUR. RELATION TO FIXED PRICES IN INDUSTRY. SHORTER' WEEK IMPRACTICABLE. WELLINGTON, July 22. The Arbitration Court has fixed the hours of work for bakers, pastrycooks and their labourers at 44 per week. The judgment of the Court, delivered by Mr. Justice Page states that application was made on behalf of 639 factory occupiers for an extension to 44 of the weekly hours of work. The price payable by the baker for flour and the price chargeable for bread had been fixed by the Minister of Industries and Commerce under the Board of Trade Act. From the evidence it was clear that unless the margin between thse two prices were increased it would be impracticable for the industry to be carried on efficiently on a 40-hour week. “There are other considerations,” the judgment continues, ‘.‘apart from the question of cost breadmaking is carried out on six days of the week and to compress into the Limits of a five-day week the baking of bread sufficient to meet the needs of the public is unworkable nor is it practicable to reduce the number of hours per day required to complete the process of turning out a batch of bread. The Court has closely examined the estimates of time necessary to carry out the processes and has come to the conclusion that to spread a working week of 40 hours over six working days would give insufficient time each day to complete the process.” The order made by the Court for a 44-hour week includes provision for work on Saturday and will come into force on September 1 and continue until September 1, 1937.—(P.A.)