STRAIN ON WORKERS

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21178, 30 July 1940, Page 6

STRAIN ON WORKERS

EFFECT ON LONG HOURS DECREASE IN PRODUCTION 55-HOUR WEEK SATISFACTORY (Official Wireless) (Received July 30, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, July 29 Realising that the continuation of excessive hours of work is likely to defeat the object of increased production for which the increased hours were temporarily introduced in the war industries, the Minister of Labour, Mr A. Bevin, has sent a series of suggestions drawn up in consultation with the British Employers’ Confederation and Trades Union Congress to all firms producing munitions and war material. These notes s\y: “The continuation of a seven day working with an average working week of between 70 and 30 hours will quickly cause a rapid decrease in individual productive capacity owing to abnormal strain. If prolonged, the output achieved in seven days will become less than what could have been achieved with the same group of workers in a shorter period. It is necessary, therefore, that the average hours of work should be reduced to a lower level, the ideal being a figure which will give under existing conditions the maximum output. An Expert View “It is not easy to determine this figure, which varies according to the circumstances of the different industries, but experience shows that it is materially below the general hours at present being worked on war production. It may not be practicable to effect the necessary adjustment at j once, in which case the immediate I provision of adequate rest periods I will assist in preventing undue j fatigue.” ! The Minister, therefore, states that j the labour force must speedily be I increased, but while this is taking ; place—and new labour will have to ! be trained for the work—the strain on workers must be relieved by an ; immediate reduction in hours. Where ; practicable, relief workers should be j called upon, if possible, for two day ! and two night shifts. ' The Minister’s notes include an j illustration of rotas, which could be j worked in factories to gain the deI sired result. • Industrial experts are agreed that 1 a 55-hour week is most satisfactory in wartime and likely to effect proi duction.