Major Braithwaiteasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will consider increasing the statutory minimum hours to be worked in agriculture from April, 1941, to October, 1941, as a wartime measure to increase production; and whether he will adjust the minimum wages to met the longer hours?
Mr. HudsonEach Agricultural Wages Committee fixes the minimum wages for its area, the numbers of hours to be worked for those wages, and the overtime rates payable. There is no statutory limitation upon the number of hours that may be worked, and my information is that there is no general reluctance on the part of agricultural workers to work overtime. On the contrary, I have no doubt that they will be willing to put in whatever hours are necessary to secure the nation's needs.