OCR Text |
Show MAY CONTINUE EIGHT HOUR DAY I STOCKHOLM, Nov. 25 Sweden's I eight-hour day, acceptable to the I laboring element t-ut not popular with employers, will be continued under 1 i provisional law for the next thr- j years. If tho recommendation Just made by the social board Is accepted by the go.-ernment. I The social board, assisted by the board of trade anl the delegation working for International social log- I lslatlon. was Instructed by the goen mtnt to investigate the general effect- I iveness of the eight-hour day In Sweden and now reports that tho UnVJ I Is not ripe either for permanent enaci -ment or abollshmebt, rei bmmendlng. therefore that tho proisfonnl ma--Ure bo continued for another thr- 1 years. I Swedish employers have ln general I opposed the establishing of a uniform short day on the ground thnt the cost of production has been increased, an l that it has led to difficulties in thoa. Industries where the output fluotual where production Is intense durln some weeks and slack during others Similar disadvantages have arisen In nil seasonal trades. A peculiar circumstance circum-stance In iTds country Is that, owing to the latitude, the days are unusually long ln summer and short In winter-Thus winter-Thus wl-.ero work can be done during daylight as In the building trades, an eight-hour day works hardship for thu employer and limits the amount of building possible during the year. Keeping the abovo objections la mind the social board has recommended recommend-ed that the hours Of oertlme allowed bo increased from 20 ps rmonth to 8u. and from 12o per year to 150 With this flexibility In the law it is believed the disadvantages of a mor-rigid mor-rigid system can be obviated. |