Employers Oppose 35-Hour Week In Dairy Factories

Grey River Argus, 7 September 1948, Page 7

Employers Oppose 35-Hour Week In Dairy Factories

P.A. WELLINGTON, Sept. 6. An application to alter tfleir award to include among other things a 35hour, five-day week was made on behalf of the New Zealand Dairy Factories Employees’ Union in Conciliation Council to-day. The claims for increased "wages provided for first assist workers being raised from £7 13s 9d to £9 15s and the basic workers; rate from £6 8s 7d to £7 ss. Advocating the union’s claim for a 35-houi’ week, Mr. L. V. Robertson, the union’s secretary, said the idea was not so fantastic as it might appear on the surface. A number of employees in certain branches of the industry were actually working a ( 32hour week. “The dairy industry is losing some of its best men,” said Mi\_ Robertson, “because better conditions? prevail elsewhere. The load on the men left in the industry is becoming heavier and heavier, if we had better conditions, men would want to come in from other industries, and it would help the industry no end. There is too much job hopping these days. Men are flitting in and out ,of the industry and experienced workers have to carry these people.” EMPLOYERS OBJECT

Mr. W. N. Perry, for the employers, said a 35-houi’ week would not stop men from going out of the industry. He not know of any industry that was not short of labour at present. He added that the industry could not carry on without an eight-hour day and that the workers’ claims for a seven-hour day was only a means of " obtaining an hour’s overtime daily. These men knew it was necessary to work eight hours,. Mr. Perry said. Mr. C. Goff (employees): In America they are already asking for andj getting a 30-hour week. Mr. L. J. Rundle (employers): This 35-hour week is just plain crazy. Too few hours are being worked in New Zealand already. We will never concede you a 35-hour week. The delegates then proceeded to discuss other claims.