ABSTRACT
Before the Great War a working week of 52 to 55½ hours was customary in most industries, though a 48-hour week was gradually being introduced in some of them. The hours of work in a number of the industries pursued in Great Britain have recently been recorded in the International Labour Review. The normal hours of work in other countries are similar to those met with in Great Britain. This chapter tabulates the hours worked in 1932 in a number of typical industries in groups of large towns situated in Europe, the United States, and Australia. A system of work which often includes a reduction in the total weekly hours of labour is the five-day week. The chapter then presents various schemes for the temporary reduction of hours of work. Conference held at Geneva in 1932 some of the employers stated that the 40-hour week would raise the cost of production 15 or even 20 per cent.
