PRINTING INDUSTRY LABOUR SHORTAGE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29501, 1 May 1961, Page 10

PRINTING INDUSTRY LABOUR SHORTAGE

"The Press” Special Service

WANGANUI, April 30. The printing industry had more jobs available than workers to fill them, and more work to cop with than it could manage, said the president of the Federation of Master Printers of New Zealand (Mr R. E. Worts) to the annual conference of the federation at the week-end.

Mr Worts said he thought there were three main remedies for this situationfirst, a greater intake of apprentices; second, immigration, and third, more effective use of the present labour supply. “And that includes all of us, from management to our youngest apprentice,” he said.

“As regards immigration, it should be known that the Government subsidises the fare of migrants from the United Kingdom and Holland. The subsidy is a generous one. In approved cases it amounts to £lOO, and since the cheapest air fare from Britain is £253, this means that the cost to the employer is £153 a person. “I know very well that many firms spend far more than that in advertising for labour in New Zealand, and in my own experience the results are pretty meagre. Moreover, most recruits a firm obtains from the labour pool in New Zealand are at the expense of other firms. We engage in competitive bidding against each htk*rinstead of building up our labour force. “The present Government proposes to step up its immigration programme, and this is highly commendable. However, I do urge fellow members of the federation to do

something to help themselves, and not to rely solely on the efforts of the State,” said Mr Worts. “In the better utilisation of the labour already employed by us I include managers, executives, and everyone in the factory. "Last year there were nearly 300 accidents in the industry, and as a result 21,000 calendar days of work were lost. This represents the work of 83 male adults, if we had no accidents. “I know we cannot eliminate accidents altogether but to the extent that we can, the saving in man-power is obvious. , “Second, if within our present 40-hour week, the 10,800 persons employed in the printing, publishing, and allied industries worked 15 minutes more each week, still within the 40 hours, another 575,000 hours would be worked in each year. This is equivalent to another 287 men.” Mr Worts said. “If we could eliminate all accidents, and each of us worked 15 minutes more within our present hours, the labour force of the printing and publishing industry would be increased by 370. This represents 3.5 per cent, of our present labour force,” Mr Worts said.