CITY COUNCIL PLAN TURNED DOWN

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5325, 11 February 1947, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL PLAN TURNED DOWN

( Press A sm.-

NINE-HOUR DAY WORKERS' DECISION AT STOPWORK MEETING

— By Telegraph — Copyright.)

AUCKLAND, Last Night. Refusal to. accept the recent proposal of the Auckland City Council to work a nine-hour day — the last hour at time and a half rates of pay — was the unanimous decision of a stop- , work meeting to-day of about 400 labourers, driv.ers, carpenters and other employees of the council. The decision will not restrict what the meeting described as "legitimate overtimes in emergencies and so on." Unions officially represented at the meeting were the Local Labourers' Union, the Dx*ivers' Union, and the Carpenters' Union. It was held to discuss the recent proposal by the couneil for a vol-untary return to the system worked during the war years, when men worked an extra hour above the eight-hour day at time and a-half „ rates. In a statement after the meeting, the secretary of the Local Bodies Labourers' Union, Mr. H. S. Callagher, said: — "Durirg the war pericd a nine-hour-day was introduced by the Auckland City Council, without consultation with the workers concerned. This was continued until about a year ago when the hours were reverted back to 40 per week, again without consultation. It is bclieved that the City Council expected to be able to increase its staff frcm rehabilitated men at that time. Men Not Ccnsulted "About a fortnight ago the announcement was made, still without consultation with the men most concerned, the workers, that the ninehour day was to be reintroduced. "As the making of a new award is to be discussed within the next few Veeks, it is obvious that the City Council intended to resist any increase in the present wage rates, on the argument that the talce-home pay, being supplemented by five hours' overtime is sufficient. * "The workers believe that the intention of the 40-hour week is to provide an adeqrate standard of livingand paid for is an extra. If wage rates are so low as to make the working of overtime necessary in order to live then the 40-hour week is destroyed. The reintroduction of a nine-hour day at this present stage severely prejudices the workers' claim for an increase in wages," said Mr. Callagher.