BAKING BREAD ON SATURDAYS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 106, 17 February 1950, Page 6

BAKING BREAD ON SATURDAYS

DIFFERENT VIEWS OF BAKERS (P.A.) INVERCARGILL, Feb. 16. After delegates had spoken for and against Saturday baking, the annual conference of the New Zealand Bakers’ Federation referred the question to the Dominion council. The discussion arose when the secretary of the federation, Mr G. R. Burrows (Christchurch), reported on a conference with the Minister of Commerce (Mr C. M. Bowden). Bakers’ representatives were told that there was little chance of the abolition of Saturday baking by the Government. “We should proceed carefully in this matter,” said Mr A. E. Brownlie (Auckland). “It would seem incongruous if we advocated abolition and then went to the Arbitration Court and said that the 5-day week was a hardship to the baking industry. “Under present conditions my staff is going to work on Saturdays before holidays; as it is a physical impossibility to supply the public without such work. 1 am definitely opposed to the elmination of Saturday baking, because I think it is necessary to give the public the service they expect from the baking industry.” , Mr Brownlie said that union members were getting sick of working 14 hours every Friday on an award payment which allowed for only eight normal working hours. “I am firmly convinced that we are going to return to the six-day week,” said Mr H. E. Fairey (Wellington). “It is impracticable to bake for three days on one day. The public will soon get tired of cutting Monday’s lunches with bread baked oh Thursday night.”