ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES

Evening Star, Issue 24326, 15 October 1942, Page 4

ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES

MAN POWER REGULATIONS WIDENED PENALTIES FOR AIBENTEES (Special.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 15. The requirements made by the Industrial Man Power Emergency Regulations. 1942, which replace the previous regulations on the subject, are explained in a statement issued by the Minister of Industrial Man Power, who said that there is nothing in the new regulations that will unduly affect the good worker or good employer, and that the regulations are to be administered with discretion. Any employer or worker in an essential industry or undertaking, says tha Minister’s statement, may not terminate his or her employment without the written permission of the district man power officer. In cases of serious misconduct an employer may suspend, but not dismiss, a worker, and the man power officer will decide whether the ■worker is to be dismissed or reinstated. Every decision or direction of the man power officer is - subject to appeal to tha Man Power Appeal Committee. If his work is abolished the worker may be transferred permanently to other work in the undertaking, biit the man power officer must give permission if tho transfer involves a lower rate. The worker, has the right of appeal against any permanent transfer, irrespective of rate. An employer may transfer a worker temporarily to other work if his usual work is temporarily not available, or, if his services are required for work of greater urgency, or by consent of a man power officer, and any transfer of more than a month’s duration requires such consent. A worker so transferredmust bo paid either the time rate for his usual work or the rate for the work performed, whichever is the greater. Man power officers may order deductions from wages for deliberate absenteeism. Any person or company may he directed to perform such services outside the armed forces os the Minister of Industrial Man Power may require, buff there is a right of appeal. The new regulations impose three, important obligations on all employers. It is an offence td engage a worker who has left an essential undertaking in contravention of the regulations, or to employ any worker so that his employment is incompatible with a direction issued by the Minister or man power officer. Every employer is responsible to see that employees eligible to register have registered. The registra- « tion orders so far have covered women, aged 20 to 30 (inclusive), men aged 46 to 50 (inclusive!, metal trades workers, building trades workers, and timber workers. For the purpose of the regulations any person may be required to submit to a medical examination. The , man power officers are given power to enter premises, interview persons, and inspect books. Every person engaged in an essential industry or subject to direction is deemed to be a member of any industrial union to which it is lawfully necessary for him to- belong. If necessary, the man power officer may require the deduction of -union fees from wages, but only if the union has made a reasonable attempt to recover the fees, and only in respect to debts incurred during periods when the regulations applied to the person concerned.