Longer Working Week

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 929, 24 March 1930, Page 11

Longer Working Week

AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMY PLAN

Men Asked for Sacrifices OPPOSITION SHOWN TO SCHEME THE State of New South Wales Government faces new difficulty in its attempt to lengthen the working week generally from 44 hours to 48 hours, beginning with the State railways. This method of effecting economy has roused the Public Service Association to opposition and the secretary is talking fight.

United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyright Reed. 11.35 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. The State Cabinet sat protractedly during the week-end discussing measure to to relieve the financial and industrial depression. The Premier, Mr. T. R. Bavin, and treasurer, Mr. B. 3. B. Stevens, declined to issue a statement concerning the deliberations. Later, Mr. Stevens met Mr. J. , Cleary, Commis-

| sioner of Railways, when it was decided that all railway employees under the Federal awards should work 48 instead of 41 hours weekly. This was announced late last night with dramatic suddenness, T. R. Bavin as the union representatives were to have met today to consider how far they will co-oper-ate with the Commissioner in effecting economies, which he had already outlined to them. Twenty-two thousand railwavmen will be immediately affected by th* lengthened week, which means a saving of £303,000 in the wages bill. Mr. Cleary is arranging, in order to avoid dismissals, that the men shall work reduced time. The general 48-hour week is to be reverted to in the State, and others beside the Public Service will be asked to make sacrifices in order to reduce the cost of production and relieve distress of unemployment. Mr. Wills, Secretary of the Public Service Association, says if the pro-

posals are put into operation the Gov ernment will have to face a charge of j repudiation. “It looks as if we shall have to fight the Ministry in opposition to these obnoxious schemes of reduction,” he said. MINERS' WAGES CUT PROTEST TO FEDERAL HEADS Reed. 21.30 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. j The miners’ representatives will meet Mr. G. E. Theodore and Mr. J. A. Beasley today in an endavour to force the Federal Government to intervene on the ground that the reopening of the mines at reduced rates of wages is illegal. If they cannot obtain this object, the men will ask for a federal subsidy of ninepence a ton of coal pending the new award. A rank and file delegates’ meeting at Cessnock reaffirmed an all-out policy for the coal mines. A resolution is being forwarded to the Miners’ Conference at Sydney today. BOUNTY ON WINE CANBERRA, Today. The Federal Xvllnistry has decided to grant a further ninepence a gallon bounty on fortified wiue for export, making a total of 21d.