FEMALE LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 285, 1 September 1942, Page 4

FEMALE LABOUR

Replacement Of Men

Already the employment of women lias become established in many occupations previously restricted by custom or law to men, while extended employment of women has occurred in several trades, such as the canning department of meatpreserving works, states the annual report of the Labour Department. Striking illustrations of the employment of women in jobs previously performed by men are the appearance of women drivers, tram conductors, railway porters andi postal delivery officials. Because of the continued mobilization of men of military age, the number of men employed in factories declined, in the 12 months under review, from 82,316 to 80,468, and in shops from 26,718. t0 24,451. Concurrently women in factories increased from 34,291 t 0.37,111, and in shops from 26,743 to 27,575. The report comments that transfers to essential employments following compulsory registration of younger women will vary these numbers considerably. Under pre-war conditions the employment of women in some industries was restricted or precluded by awards and by the prohibition of night worn by -the Factories Act, btit provision for shift work for women has now been introduced. “Variation of awards has been undertaken,’’ states the report, ‘on the recommendation of the Industrial Emergency Council, which has adopted the principle of equal pay for equal work. Lower rates of pay for women have been fixed only where it has been, shown that a lower volume of work was inevitable or that the whole of a job could not be allotted to women.’ , “With a view to the absorption of, local female labour, factories have been established or re-established in smaller towns. It is interesting to note that there is still a reserve of female labour in some areas such as Westland, where there are practically no secondary industries.