40-HOUR WEEK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 164, 29 July 1937, Page 5

40-HOUR WEEK

Adoption in Australia MELBOURNE, July 6. Claims made by the oombined Federa] Public Servioe organlsations for thel introduotion of a 40-hour -working week in the servioe were rejeoted today in a determination by the Commonwealth Publlo Service Arbitrator (Mr J. C. WesthoveYi). • Mr Westhoven said that, in the eircumstanoee, he thought it wise to leave the inltiative in this matter to Parliament, wfyere it rightly belong.ed. "As an individual," said Mr We'sthoven, "I strongly hold the view that, ln present-day oonditions, the adoption of the 40-hour week ls warranted. At the same time, I am also convlnced that it ls not a proper exercise' of the powers vested ln the Publlo Service Arbitrator to venture Into the field of soclal reform of the oommunity as a whole', and presoribe a reduotlon of hours of duty in Commonwealth employ as a measure of rellef for the social unrest of the oommunity." In a separate determination, a 44hour we'ek was granted to all Commonwealth employees, with the exoeption of sleeping-oar employees dlning-oar employees and watchmen. About 100 employees will by soelal iU?" It had -been shown at the inquiry, Mr Westhoven said, that there were about 16,400 Commonwealth Public Service employees whose hours of duty were' now 40 a week, and about 29,046 whose working week was in excess of 40 hours. Of these, 23,544 were in departments coming under the Goramonwealth Public Servioe Aot, principally in the' Postmaster-General's Department. Except in a few instances their present hours of duty did not o.xceed 44 a week. "In Australia," said Mr Westhoven, "while there is a substantial body of publlo opinion in favoqr of the 40hour week, It has not yet been put into operation, exoept in a few ltmited and comparatively unimportant industrial ooncerns. Because' ot its magnitude, its wide ramifications, and the large number of its employees, tipi Commonwealth holds a natural position of leadership among employers both on its own accoiAit and as an oxarnple in the industrial and eponomic field. But, in the present circumstances, is it the proper fimc{,ion of this tribunal to say that the Commonwealth will give its employees a 40hour week as partial reme'dy for a social ill?" Mr Westhoven said that the reduction of working hours to 40 per week in the case of those service employees whose hours of duty were now in" excess of 40 was not necessary because of any hardship, physioal, or other disabllity re'sulling from present conditions. Mr Westhoven eommented on the fact that, in the Commonwealth Public Service, the propovtion of youths io adults was now at an extraordlutriij Ioyy llsuf.