STILL ON 40 HOUR WEEK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 35, 30 March 1942, Page 5

STILL ON 40 HOUR WEEK

SAWMILL FIRM'S EMPLOYEES

MAN POWER COMMITTEE

OBJECTS

When a sawmilling firm appealed for several timber workers at the Te Awamutu sitting of the Hamilton District Manpower Committee, Mr A. Hayward, a member of the committee, asked why they had not extended the 40-hour week. The committee had been in the King Country three weeks ago and; had been faced with the same position. The industiy had been declared an essential one, timber being urgently required for military purposes and chaese crates. Yet the mill owners and managers had do,ne nothing. They had stated that some men would work longer while others would not, but they (the owners) would not paj r overtime. They no longer had any excuse, said Mr Hayward. They had to get the timber. It w T as absolutely wrong that cmc industry should do 40 hours a week, while in other essential industries up to 16 hours a day was being worked. The owners and managers should get together and ask the men to work longer, as it would be impossible for the committee to go c<n granting sine die adjournments on a 40-hour week. If they could not arrange matters tliev .should approach the Government. Mr R. P. Smith said the machinery existed for working longer hours and those concerned should take advantage of it. A Avitness said the trouble was 1 lime and a half payment foir overtime. Only last Aveek his company advertised for a goosman ?.nd had no reply despite the fact that a house Avas available. "You will appreciate our position; we cannot keep men out of the Army so that the rest of th? men can Avork a 40-hour AA T eek," said the chairman, Mr S. C. B. Macky. Witness vep;ied that men in the bush sometimes worked longer hours. "We made it clear in the King Country that if. the men Avere still working a 40-hour Aveek, they Avould get no more sine die adjournments," said Mr HayAvard.