Evening star., 1951-08-05
|4O-Hour Week
Is Most Efficient,
Wilson Insists
Warns Overtime Pay
Bon Would Disrupt
Wage Sterilization
By james Y. Newton

Mobilization Director Charles E.
Wilson warned last night that
suspension of premium pay for
overtime work during the defense
emergency would disrupt the
wage stabilization program and
industrial relations generally"
Mr.. Wilson also advised defense
program employers to use caution
in working employees more than 40
hours week even at time -and "a
half pay. He said experience has
shown that generally maximum
.e1ght-hour day and 40-hour week
provide the highest efficiency.
The defense mobilizer, former
president of General Electric Co.,
outlined the Governments policy
on hours of work in answer to
suggestions that military produc-
tion would be increased if the
standard work week were length
ened and overtime pay rates sus-
pended.
Backs Overtime Pay Policy.
"The continuing policy of Gov
ernment agencies" Mr.. Wilson
said, "is to give full support to the
principle of overtime pay as pro-
vided for in the Fair Labor
Standards and Public Contracts
Acts"
He added that prohibition of
overtime pay for all workers, in
cluding those in organized in
dustries, would lead undoubtedly
to renegotiation of most collec-
tive bargaining contracts, with
accompanying tension and unrest
and consequent loss of produc-
ton"
Mr.. Wilson noted that some
management officials have held
that overtime pay is a1fationary.
He said that the higher basic wage
rates resulting from renegotiation
Iof contracts would be far more
inflationary.
4O-Hour Week Most Efficient.
He declared that higher unit
labor costs involved in premium
overtime pay may be offset by
economies in machine operation
and overhead resulting from run
ming plant more hours per week.
But he warned:
Experience in World War II
demonstrated that excessively long
work hours caused so much waste
in the form of spoilage, absentee
ism, and inefficient work per-
formance that little benefit to
the war effort was derived from
attempting to maintain these
schedules for extended periods"
In saying that the 40-hour week
makes for the most efficient pro-
duction, Mr.. Wilson said that in
certain industries and occupations
a limited extension of hours will
increase output somewhat. But
for sustained efficiency, employees
should not be worked more than
48 hours week.
Urges Careful Study.
Need for increased hours in
certain industries. plants and oc-
cupations, however, does not JUS
tify the lengthening of hours for
all industries" Mr.. Wilson said,
NOR does need for limited in
crease in working hours neces-
sarily call for a 48-hour week.
"Manpower shortages in one la.
Dor market area will not justify
lengthening the work week in an
other area where reserves of labor
still exist"
He suggested that employers
who are forced to extend the work
beyond 40 hours make a continu-
ing study to determine whether
they are getting added production
from the longer hours.
AS for suggestions that over
time pay rates be suspended in
the emergency. Mr.. Wilson pointed
out that premium rates are among
the strongest incentives for keep
ing workers on the job throughout
long work weeks and for attract
ing new workers to defense jobs.