LABOUR IN INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 282, 27 August 1942, Page 4

LABOUR IN INDUSTRY

Women And Seasonal Workers

CHANGES RECOMMENDED

New industrial manpower emergency regulations to consolidate existing legislation and eliminate causes of confusion in the early regulations are expected to be issued shortly following a conference of officers of the manpower industrial division of the National Service Department, members of the four manpower industrial committees. and all district manpower officers. The conference was presided over by the controller of manpower. Mr. IL L. Boekett, and for most of the time the Minister of Industrial Manpower. Mr. McLagan. was present. Registration of additional classes of women was recommended, but as the need for female labour is not equally acute in all districts it was considered that Hie procedure adopted in Hamilton and Cambridge of enrolling a special age- group in certain districts would liest meet the situation. A suggestion to enrol women in much higher age groups was not. generally favoured. The desirability of having women attached to the staffs of the manpower officers was stressed, though it was not considered necessary that they should be appointed to the committees. The direction of workers from nonessential employment to essential work at a lower wage was one of the problems discussed, and also the direction of women to work for which tliev were not naturally suited. ■ To provide labour for seasonal woik, the conference recommended that school summer holidays should begin earlier in the north and end niter in the south to allow teachers and pupils to assist with harvesting. Many seasonal workers were now engaged on defence construction and mining, but the conference considered that shearers,' freezing workers, and others should be released whenever possible.