ALIENS’ APPEALS

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 22, 21 October 1942, Page 6

ALIENS’ APPEALS

Manpower Direction Order DISCUSSION ON WAGES

The Manpower Industrial Committee "in Wellington yesterday heard the first appeals in cases where aliens have beeu directed by the Wellington district manpower officer, Air. F. H. Waters, to a special form of employment, in this instance, with the Department of Agriculture. The deputy-chairman, Air. J. J. Scott, presided, with him as members or the committee being Alessrs. B. L. Hammond, employers’ representative, and J. Arthurs, employees' representative. Several cases which came within the category mentioned were heard, and the decisions are to be announced later. It was stated by Air. Waters that the Department of Agriculture required labour, of which there was an acute shortage, for vegetable growing. It was considered fit and proper to mobilize aliens for the purpose. Up till now they had not been called on to make sacrifices comparable with those of British subjects. Permission was sought by Air. 1 . Butler, as secretary of the General Labourers’ Union, to make a statement concerning the wages to be paid those whose appeals were dismissed. The deputy-chairman commented that according to information which he possessed a rate of wages had beeu fixed for these men if their appeals were unsuccessful, and it was largely a matter of policy. Air. Butler submitted that manpower officers could not direct anyone to an industry unless a minimum wage was set out. There was nothing in the regulations about an order fixing wages in the industry to which these men were being sent. There was no award or agreement. The Agricultural Department had set a rate of wages on which they as workers had not been consulted, ami it was merely a departmental decision. Should the committee disallow the appeals, Mr. Butler said he thought it would have to refer the matter to the Alinister so that he could adjudicate on the wages to be paid. . . _ . _ An appeal was lodged by A. Cummm» (Mr. R. L. Macalister) against the decision of the manpower officer in directing Alomenico Aprea to employment with the Department of Agriculture. It was stated that appellant, who had. a grocery shoo in Alarjoribanks Street, had purchased for £lOOO a hairdressers and tobacconist business in Alanners Street 2i months ago. Originally there had 'been three men in business, and if Aprea was taken, appellant would not be able to carry it on. Clement Aprea (Air. W. V. Brown)', aged 28, and one of the three brothers ordered to report to the Department of Agriculture, appealed ou the grounds of hardship. It was stated that he had his own hairdressers’ business at Kelburn, and would suffer heavy financial loss if he had to close it down. Vincent Costa, aged 31. (Air. T. A. Tarrant) similarly appealed. He stated that he’ was one of four in a fish business which normally had a staff of eight. Giuseppe Zino, aged 20, was appealed for by Costa, in whose business ,he was engaged, as being irreplaceable. Zino was also appealed for by his father, Giovanni Zino, on the ground of hardship.