SHOPPING HOURS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 32, 14 December 1945, Page 5

SHOPPING HOURS

RETAILERS DISCUSS POSITION VARIATION AFTER NEW YEAR The reaction of the Whakatane Retailers' Association to the new Government legislation covering the Shops and Offices Amendment Act recently passed was to be guaged from the special meeting called, for Tuesday evening last. It was unanimously decided to maintain the usual 44 hour week until New Year after which the 10 hour week will be invoked by working from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. on week days and 9 a.m. till 12 (noon) on Satusdays. Mr G. S. Armstrong who was in j the. chair said that there would be little or nothing the Retailers could do when the whole scheme became law, but at the present moment there was the question of interpretation whicht was still very vague. Itoiii tlife Labour Department at Tauranga it was learned that it was possible to work the 40 hours over the whole week so as to include Saturday but after June 30, 1946 ? no Saturday work would lie. permit r ted apart for restaurants and hotels or in such instances where the hours were varied by the action, of the Arbitration Court. Outlining the position further the secretary (Mr C. Good) stated'that the Act insisted on all workers after June '30 having a clear full holiday on Saturday. As from December 7 all working weeks must be reduced to 40 hours and any time worked over that to be time and a half. Another point provided by the Act was that an 8-hour day must be continuous, and that any time in excess of one hour for lunch must be regarded as working time. There was considerable comment Mr Rigden moving that as from the Ist of January Whakatane acknowledge the iiva-day week close all shops on Saturdays. He gave his reasons stating that the live-day week was inevitable, and that the town might as well face up to it. at once. His motion lapsed for want of a seconder. A second motion by Mr Walter Bridger to the effect that the. 11hour week be observed until the end of the month and that after that date the 4tV-liour week be. introduced with hours. 9 till 5 for four days; 9 till 5 and 6 till 8 on Friday; and 9 till 12 on Saturdaj r until further niformation be obtained was carried unanimously. On Mr C. F. Thomas' motion it was further decided to call another meeting before the end of January 191(5.