IN WAR FACTORIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 June 1943, Page 3

IN WAR FACTORIES

WOMEN WORKING LONG HOURS IN BRITAIN. COMMENT ON STATEMENT IN AUCKLAND. (Special P.A. Correspondent.' LONDON, June 9. “British women are certainly working a lot more than 37 hours a week,” said an official of the British Ministry of Labour when he referred to the comment by Mr J. O. Liddell, chairman of the Auckland Manpower (Industrial) Committee that “it has been shown here and in England that it is not possible to work women more than 37 hours a week.” Mr Liddell's remark was made during the hearing on April 7 of appeals by employers against a manpower officer's direction of 10 women clothing trade machinists to more essential clothing factories: The British Ministry official said that the normal week worked by women in munition factories where tanks, guns and aeroplanes were being made was 52 hours, exclusive of time for meals and breaks, and in some cases up to 60 hours a week, including overtime, were worked. Part-time workers did less, the maximum being 30 hours a week. The members of the New Zealand Parliamentary delegation, Messrs. Endean and Lowry, when visiting a number of factories during their provincial tour, found that eight hours was the normal working day, and in some special cases ten hours, though the general tendency was to cut down excessive hours to prevent strain.

Another official stated that a 48-hour week had been declared normal in the clothing trade, and beyond 48 hours overtime was payable. Juveniles under 16 worked 44 hours a week. "I do not think you will find anyone in the clothing trade in Britain working a week of 37 hours today, unless it is a small repair shop depending on customers. Most of them certainly do not work less than 48 hours —probably more.”

It has been found that absenteeism is greatest among part-time workers, but, generally speaking, absenteeism is the result of sickness in the home or of shopping requirements. Miss Marjorie Skill, Wellington, who is a parttime worker in an electrical equipment factory, said: “Full-time women, workers in our factory work from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays. There are two breaks of 10 minutes each, and an hour for lunch. These breaks are tremendously valuable,”