FIREMEN’S DAYS OFF

Press, Volume C, Issue 29510, 11 May 1961, Page 9

FIREMEN’S DAYS OFF

Board Discusses Attitude

Whether firemen should work on their days off was discussed by the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board on Tuesday evening. The discussion was started when Mr A. S. Hollander said a remit to be introduced at the annual meeting of the Urban Fire Authorities’ Association later this month was aimed at preventing firemen working on their days off. He asked the chairman (Mr W. R. Campbell), who will represent the board at the meeting, how he would vote.

Mr Campbell said he did not think firemen could be dictated to about what they did on their days off. Mr W. E. Olds said, now firemen worked one day and one day off he felt boards should have more control over them.

Mr Campbell said he recalled that the only restriction ever placed on firemen or fire officers was that they should not sell fire-extin-guishing equipment in their spare time. Mr Hollander said other local bodies in the city had the view that people working for them should not do similar work in their spare time. If firemen worked on their days off their rest and relaxation would not be apparent to the board, he said. Mr H. J. Reynolds said that some people could work as hard cutting lawns and doing jobs around the house in their spare time. “If anyone wants to work on his day off I say good luck to them,” he said.