APPRENTICESHIP BILL

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24914, 29 June 1946, Page 8

APPRENTICESHIP BILL

N.Z. COMMISSIONER PROPOSED

DISTRICT COMMITTEE SYSTEM

(P.A.) ' WELLINGTON, June 28. The recommendations of the Apprenticeship Commission, which made an inquiry into the working of the apprenticeship laws, are given legislative effect by the Apprentices’ Amendment Bill, which was introduced and read a first time in the House of Representatives to-day. The Acting-Minister of Labour (the Hon. J. O’Brien) said the bill would be referred to the La- X hour Bills Committee. The bill provides for the appointment of a commissioner of apprenticeship, district commissioners of apprenticeship, and New Zealand district apprenticeship committees. The commissioner will have all the functions, duties, and powers conferred by the principal act on the Registrar of Apprentices and. similarly, district commissioners will have the powers now exercised by District Registrars of Apprentices. Dominion apprenticeship committees consisting of representatives of employers and workers, may be appointed for any industry or group of industries concerned. The functions of these committees will be to estimate the requirements of industry in respect of the number of apprentices needed to ensure that skilled tradesmen are being trained, and to recommend to the appropriate authorities the taking of steps considered necessary to achieve this. The committees are also empowered to apply to the Court of Arbitration for orders governing apprenticeships, to co-operate with the Department of Education to ensure that apprentices obtain the maximum amount of educational training, to give consideration to the introduction of educational training during normal working hours, and to the introduction of practical tests for each apprentice before the completion of his apprenticeship. All apprenticeship committees, whether New Zealand or local, will consist of a chairman and seven other members, three representing the employers, three the employees, and one a person conversant with technical education. _ The bill will come into force at the beginning of next year, after which date the Arbitration Court will not make an apprenticeship order for a specified locality but only in respect of each industry or branch of industry for the whole of New Zealand. The Court may, however, insert special provisions in an apprenticeship order, which do not relate to the whole of New Zealand.

The bill states that no apprentice under 18 years shall be employed for more than 40 hours a week or more than eight hours 4 day. However, if provision is made in an apprenticeship order for the employment of such apprentices on overtime, it will be lawful to do so within the limits prescribed in the order.

The provisions of the Factories’ Act must be complied with in regard to apprentices working in factories. If a committee considers an employer is unable to give adequate training to an apprentice, he may be transferred to another employer, who is willing and able to do so. Regulations may be made for the payment of a lodging allowance to an apprentice obliged to live away from home to learn his trade. Such allowances will be paid out of money appropriated by Parliament.