Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-13
35-Hour Week
Proposed for
U. 5. Employees
NFFE Convention
Asks Congress to
Approve Plan
BY JOSEPH YOUNG
Star staff Correspondent

LOUISVILLE. KY, Sept. 49,
The National Federation of Fed
eral Employees today asked for a
35-hour work-week for Govern
ment employees.
The biennial NFFE convention
here asked Congress to approve
a work schedule of seven hours a
day, five days a week. The
present Federal work-week is 40
hours, eight hours a day, five
days a week.
In voting to seek a shorter
work-week as one of its legisla-
tive detectives in the next Con-
gress, the NFFE noted "a cur
rent trend" toward shortening
the work-week in industry. 1t
also declared that phenomenal
advance of automation greatly
increases the efficiency and out
put of each worker" and thereby
justifies shorter working hours.
In another series of adopted
resolutions. the NFFE called on
the next Congress to restore
many of the annual and sick
leave benefits that have been
taken away from Federal work.
ers during the past few years.
Would Restore Annual Leave
The NFFE asked that all Fed
eral workers again be given IS
days of annual leave a year. 1t
also urged that employees again
be permitted to accumulate up
to so days annual leave.
Also, the convention asked
that, for the first time, Federal
workers be allowed to use their
unused sick leave accumulation
upon retirement for credit to-
ward their annuities. Under the
proposal, the number of unused
days of sick leave would be
added to the employees total
service for retirement computa-
ton, thus giving him larger
annuity. The NF'FE also asked
that employees separated from
Government before retirement
age be given some monetary
credit for their unused sick
leave.
Other leave resolutions adopted
by the convention urge recredit-
ing Of sick leave to Federal
workers who leave the Govern
ment and then return and that
new employees Immediately be
credited with and allowed use of
leave instead of waiting 80 days,
as is now the case.
Extra Holiday Asked
The NFFE asked for legisla-
ton to give Federal employees a
legal holiday on Fridays when
ever the next day. Saturday,
happens to be a legal holiday.
Noting that there has been
some criticism of leave abuses by
Federal workers. the NFFE con-
vention asked its locals to con-
duct educational campaigns
among the membership stressing
the danger of any such abuse
and the desirability of regular
use of annual leave for vacation
purposes and sick leave for ILL
nesses only.
The NFFE also asked that
Federal employees be reimbursed
for the loss of annual leave in
situations when their agencies
chance to use their leave. Under
the present law, employees with
more than 30 days annual leave
accumulation must use all the
leave earned in any one year
or forfeit all the unused portion.
Lose Earned Leave
The NFFE declared this situa-
ton has resulted in many en-
ployes being denied the right to
use all of their earned leave.
Either because the agency's
workload is such that it cannot
spare the employe or because
the agency simply refuses to let
the employee have the time off
Employees should be paid cash for
this unused leave or allowed to
have it credited to their total
leave accumulation, the NFFE
said.
BY a unanimous vote, the
NFFE rejected an invitation
from the rival AFL-CIO Ameri-
can Federation of Government
Employees that the groups start
talks leading to a merger of the
two organizations.
The NFFE adopted a resolu-
ton saying it invited any Fed
eral employe or groups Of en-
ployeS to join it but that the
NFFE was determined to NAM
tain its independence ard present
status. The NFFE's action was
seen as firmly slamming the door
on any AFGE merger proposal