40-HOUR WEEK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 185, 6 August 1936, Page 8

40-HOUR WEEK

THE CLOTHING TRADE AUCKLAND AGREEMENT [Pr Prew, Association] AUCKLAND, Aug. 5. Employees in the clothing trade in Auckland will work a 40-hour week on the basis of five days, but the actual "spread” of hours on working days is to be referred to the Arbitration Court. This decision was reached in the Conciliation Council when an agreement was reached on the various conditions of employment. An agreement could not be reached on wages, overtime, and annual holidays an! these mailers also will be referred to the Court, together with applications from the furrier firms and knitwear manufacturers to be exempt from the award. i EXTENSION TO 44 HOURS ' TANNERS AM) SOAP MAKERS. [ Per Pros Association, j I WELLINGTON, Aug. 5. An extension in the weekly working hours to 44 was granted in two or three cases on which judgments were given by Mr. Justice Page in the Arbitration Court, Wellington, to-day. ■ The workers affected by these deci- ■ sions are the tanners and fellmongers ;in Canterbury and Otago, and the I manure, tallow, acid, soap and candle makers in Canterbury and Southland. I The orders in both cases will come 'into force on September I and will i be for 12 months. The judgments stated it was clear that the industry must proceed on Saturday. The hours al present worked were 48 a week, and even with those hours overtime was on I occasions necessary. In the opinion of the Court it was impracticable to 'carry on on a 40-hour week. Cement Workers. i II was slated in the Court's judgment on the applications by Wilson (N.ZJ Portland Cement. Ltd., the I Golden Bay Cement Works. Ltd., and I Milburn Lime and Cement Co., Ltd.. I that the parties had come to an arrangement and had requested the | Court merely to make an order that Ihe limit of 4i hours without an interval for a meal be extended to I eight hours in the case of shift workers and five hours in the case of other workers on occasion when such exi tension was necessary to finish the job lin hanfl. The orders were made accordingly.

in excess of last, season's average. With conditions steadily improving in London this is a very safe gamble. The price paid will enable highly efficient factories to pay the suppliers approximately Is Id per lb ot butterfat for the season. From this figure ihe farmer must deduct the increased cost of operating his farm and running his home under the new regime. Where he employs no labour he may do fairly well, but on the basis of £2 12s 6d a week plus board for farm labour, he will require to earmark Id per lb on butterfat to meet the increasefl costs under this heading alone. In addition, he must face other increased costs on the farm and in the home, and on a very conservative basis this will absorb another Id per lb on butterfat. ‘lnsult to Dairy Farmer” ■ If any dairv farmer wants to knowjust where he will stand during the next twelve months under the guar-anteed-price scheme he can form an idea by assuming that he received lid per lb for butterfat for last season s supply, or approximately lid per lb less than h? actually realised in that market." said Mr. Sinclair. “1 am sorry to say it. but it seems incredible that the Government should insult the dairv farmer bv compulsorily taking possession of his produce, initiating legislation which will involve him in neavilv-increased costs, and paving him such a miserable price for it. taking into account the increased costs the farmer would have to meet." His first impression of Mr. Nash s statement, said Mr. C. J. Parlane, general manager of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Co., Ltd., was that the payment per pound of butterfat which would be available to him would be of little use. and he was doubtful whether the prices announced would be sufficient to cover increased costs and allow for any improvement in the farmer’s position as promised by the Government before the election. “A Heavy Blow” “There will be a general feeling of disappointment with the basic price fixed." said Mr. J. E. Leeson, chairman of directors of the Morrinsville Co-operative Dairy Co.. Ltd. "This will not allow anything extra for higher farm wages or for increased living costs. It is a heavy blow to him. and no will probably be u or o e