WOMEN'S POST-WAR WORK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 284, 27 August 1919, Page 4

WOMEN'S POST-WAR WORK

GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS Tho Women's Employment Committee, presided over by Major .f. W. Hills, M.P., which was appointed in August, 1916, to consider and advise, in tho light of tho experience gained during tho war, upon tho opportunities for Olio employment of women, lws presented its report in the form of a Bltio Book of 110 pages, which deals with practically all aspects of women's post-war work. It recommends that free entrance to all clerical posts in the local government service should be given to women, and Umt all clerical posts open to men Bhoukl be opon to women. Sufficient, training for industry and, in tho case oi unorganised workers, a large extension of Trade Boards aro deemed necessary. Tho tinio has arrived, tho committee urges, l'&r the consideration of a Bill dealing with fines, deductions, and the "livingin" systoin for shop assistants, drafted on the lines of the Minority Report. New Shops Act, The relaxation of the Factory Acts allowed during tho war, tho commitoo believes, should cease when peaco is restored, and excessive overtime, long spells, night work and Sunday work should bo forbidden. The Government is asked to consider the possibility of a 4J.-hours working week and an annual fortnight's holiday on full pay. Trades should be allowed, within statutory limits, to settle their own hours, subject to Government sanction, "a substantial majority having power to bind the minority." A new Shops Act is required to limit the existing excessively long hours and spells. Government factories should make experiments to see whether a working day much shorter than tho present is not economically possible. AVelfaro work must continue after the waj under a single Government authority. Industries should determine their own conditions -under Government supervision. "It should be tho employer's duty to 6budy conditions as ho now studies cost, of production, _ and workers should strive for good conditions as they have striven for good wagc6." The workers should operate through Whitley councils and works committees, oil which organised women must be fully represented. Factory inspectors should bo encouraged to call conferences of employers and employed. "Compulsory action by the State should be used for the l>urposo of making universal that which experiment has proved to Iks right." Women superintendents' should be appointed where women are employed in substantial numbers.

Roll of Trade Unions. With regard to trade unionism, the report states, organisation should bo_ encouraged in every way. "Trade unions should play an important part in preventing unemployment. Unions comprising both men and women are stronger for bargaining purposes than those consisting of women only, but there is work for- both classes of unions to do." , , Tho employment of married women outside their homes is not to t>3 encouraged. A system of mothers' pensions, on the lines of that in operation in tho United States, is recommended. An immediate inquiry should bo held into conditions in offices. Home work should not be encouraged in any trade iiuless it is clear that tiho maintenance of adequate wages is possible. Considerable emphasis is placed on'the desirability of adapting the training scheme of tho Ministry of Munitions to peace purposes. Training must be olosely associated to trade methods and requirements. Apprenticeship, learnereliip, technical classes, instructional, nntioiml, or local factory courses should be utilised. • Maintenance for womon (hiring training must be provided, and tn« cost of training and maintenance should ile a national charge. The Ministry of labour, it is urged, should appoint a. committee at an early date to deal with this phase of the problem.