Dairy Workers Ask For 35-hour Week

Chronicle (Levin), 7 September 1948, Page 7

Dairy Workers Ask For 35-hour Week

Press Association )

(Per

WELLINGTON, Sept. 6. An applicption to alter their award to include among other things, a 35,hour, 5-day week, was made on behalf'of the New Zealand Dairy Factories Employees' Union, in Conciliation Council today. Claims for increased wages provided for lirst assistant workers being raised from £7 .13s 9d to £9 15s and the basic workers ' rate from £6 8s 7d to £7 5s. Advocating the union 's .claims for a 35-hour week, Mr. L. V. Kobertson, the union 's secretary, said the idea was not so fantastic as it might appear oi) the surface. A number of employees in certain branches of the industry were actually working a 32-hour week. " The dairy industry is losing sonie of its best men," said Mr. Kobertson, " because better conditions prevail elsewhere. The load on tlie men left in the industry is becoming hcavier and heavier. If we had better conditions men would want to come in from other industries and it would lielp the industry no end. There is too much job-hopping these days. Men are flitting in and out ot Ihe industry and experienced workers have to earry these people.55 Mr. W. N. Perrv, for the employers, said a 35-hour -wee;k would not stop men going out of the ihdustry. He did not ' kiiow of aliv ihdustry that was not short of hibjtir at present. He said Ihe industry could not carry on without an eight-iiour day and that the workers' (-lHiin for a 7-hour day was only a meatis of obtaining an hour's overtime daily. The men knew it was necessary to work eight hours, Mr. I'erry said. Mr. C. Golf (employees): In America thev :ire already asking for and getting a 30-hour week. Mr. L. ,T. Rundle (employers): This 35-hour week is just plain crazy. Too l'w hours are being worked in New Zealand aireadv. We will never con••ede you a 35-hour week. Delegutes then proceeded to discuss claims and then adjourned till tomorrow.