Overworked Page Boys The Shop Hours Bill, which received its
second reading on Wednesday, will ensure a statutory 48-hour week for 400,000 inveniles who up to now have had no such protection and have been grossly overworked. But there are still 300,000 young people who remain outside the scope of its provisions, for the Bill only applies to those who are actually engaged in selling an article across the counter. Page boys and lift attendants and young hotel porters will continue to work as they do now in many otherwise reputable hotels for ten or eleven hours. There is no defence for these hours, which are seen to be the more excessive when we remember the conditions under which young hotel servants work—the over-heated atmosphere of the rooms and the high standards of smartness and obedience that are exacted. The old excuse put up that the state of trade will not permit a reduction is ludicrous when applied to what is, after all, a luxury industry. It is most unfortunate that the Government should mar an otherwise admirable piece of social legislation by this glaring omission to protect from overwork the class of boy labour most in need of it.
Previous page
