44-HOUR WEEK

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1928, Page 2

44-HOUR WEEK

JUDGE OUTSPOKEN. SYDNEY, Feb. 2.3. With the announcement by Chief Judge Dctlieridge that the community could not stand the cost, the unions have abandoned the idea of obtaining from the Arbitration Court, as at present constituted, a universal 4-1-hoiir week. He told the parties before him in Melbourne that the greatest sufferers from such reduction would he the workers themselves. The secretary of the union that was before the Court informed the judge that his members felt very strongly on the question of a shorter week. Chief Judge Dctlieridge replied: “I suppose you could say the same of every industry in Australia. They are all keenly anxious to have a 44-liour week, but it is another tiling to he able to get it. Forty-eight hours with a job is better than -1-1 hours without one. That i.s ilie real stumbling block in many of these cases of a shorter week. Men would lose their jobs. It is an idea I have, formed after grave consideration. The working men of the community could not afford it. There is not enough money being made. If hours were cut down to 401 hours a lot of men would starve. \\ hen we get down to the question of where the border line exists. T have come -i to flu 1 conclusion that if a great majority of the workers were to say : ‘I will not work more than 44 houis a week,’ they would pinch their bellies. That is getting down to a homely language. 1 am not troubling about the emnloyers so much. The 44-hour week for everyone would never do. It may be that in 20 years’ time the country may have so increased its productiveness as to make a general reduction in hours more feasible It was pointed out to the judge that the men whose claims were before the Court—motor-lorrv drivers—were en,ra«red in a narticnlarly dangerous occupation. The judge questioned whether the danger would he lessened by a reduction of hours, to which the union secretarv replied: “Yes. certainly. The longer these men worktlio greater the strain. . Chief Judge Dctlieridge: “A fru >’ duv’s work in the ordinary course makes a man tired at tlm end of the dnv. It is proper that lie should b, tired. It is also proper that the men should do a fair share of work. It would be a good thing if every man in the community had to do such an amount of work as would make him fairlv tired at the end ot the da> Most' of us have to do it. It you get an undue amount of agree that it should be prevented.