FULL USE OF LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 9, 6 October 1943, Page 8

FULL USE OF LABOUR

Christchurch Tramway

Board

Dominion Special Service. OHRISTCHUROH. October 5.

The Christchurch Tramway Board must make better use of employees who at present work only forty hours a week, or it will not ibe permitted to retain them. > This was made clear by, both the district manpower officer (Mr. M. Rossi, and the Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday when an appeal by William Edward Kelly against the refusal of the manpower .officer to permit him to terminate his employment with the board was heard. Kelly said he wished to go to work on the Wellington waterfront as his pres'ent wages were not high enough. He had been with the board, for two years and was employed on the’ tracks. The tramway engineer. Mr. W. D. Reviugton, said the tracks were in a shocking state. The men were working a forty-hour week, but they did get some overtime. In the dry weather they would -probably work longer. "There has been a suggestion before that the board has -not been making as good use as it might of some of its manpower," said the- chairman (Mr. K. G. Archer).

"The overtime bill has been so high that we have had to cut it down,” replied the engineer. Mr. 11. Lee. another member of the committee, said that high overtime applied to all essential industries. It was true that the men were not being used to capacity, said Mr. Ross. "Something will have to ibe done. The board cannot expect to hold men bn a forty-hour week,” he commented. Announcing its decision to dismiss the appeal, the committee stated: “We are not entirely satisfied that the tramway board is making full use of the services of the appellant and workers in similar positions, and suggest that the question of , making fuller -use of these workers should Ibe carefully considered."