FORTY HOUR WEEK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 25, 16 June 1939, Page 7

FORTY HOUR WEEK

o f QUESTION AT CENEVA POSTPONED FOR PRESENT In a report on reduction of hours of work in industry and commerce which will be submitted to the International Labour Conference when vt opens in Geneva on June 8, the Inter, national Labour Office suggests that the question be postponed and referred back to the governing body for reconsideration at fi later date. The report discloses that of 25 governments which havf replied to a tionnaire sent out last autumn by the ILO only 7 governments favour a 40-hour week. Nine others are definitely opposed to any reduction of the work below 48 hours and the remaining nine, while favouring the orinciple of a shorter work week declared that they could not contemplate a reduction at this time. The report points out that in the. present state of political insecurity and economic instability througixuri a great part of the world, governments hesitate to assume an international obligation at this time tc reduce hours of work in industry and " commerce. 1 "It is obv'ous." says the report - "thfit thev wish to remain free, ir order to be able to meet any obliga- : tions that may be suddenly imposes f by the requirements of national mili , tary and economic defence. : ''The International Labour Or<?an _ isation eannot ignore the presen 1 situation. Thus the ILO is of th< : opinion that, unless there is a veri . marked change for the better in thi T situation during the next months . the conference would do well to post p pone the discussion on the general isation of the reduction of hours o j. work in industry and commerce, an< to refer the question back to th governing body with a request to en ter it again cn the agenda when th prospects of success are better. "The present situation is altogether 'er exceptional and cannot be othe than temporary. When it becomc possible to build up a genuine poll e tical and economic peace, the prol: '■ lem of reducing hours of work wi: & be increasingly important and wi .. have to be examined international! is in all its aspects,"