MR. BAXTER CONDEMNS N.Z.'S FIVE-DAY WEEK

Chronicle (Levin), 3 September 1947, Page 5

MR. BAXTER CONDEMNS N.Z.'S FIVE-DAY WEEK

MBLBOtHlNB, Sept. 2. The secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, Mr. K. Baxter, warned the Federal Congress of the Australasian Council of Trade Unions to avoid New Zealand's 40-hour week mistakes. ^ He said that New Zealand had made the mistake of virtually introducing two Sundays a week by adopting a hard and fast five-day 40-hour week.. He advised Australian trade unionists to adopt a more elastic 40-hour week. "We have now realised that it is impossible to have a straigfit five-day 40-hour week for all .workers," said Mr. Baxter. "We ' realise that essential industries must work a seven-day week." New Zealand's attempt to work a five-day 40-hour week had caused considerable public inconvenience. The New Zealand Government had been forced to introduce legislation for secret union ballots on strike issues. He could not say if this was good or bad, but the New Zealand Federation of Labour opposed it on November 12. New Zealand trade unionists felt that the State had no right to interfere in- union affairs. He thought, however, that aS the New Zealand Labour Government had set • up machinery for the settlement of industrial disputes, it felt it was justified in protecting this machinery through the secret ballot.