OUT OF WORK

Hokitika Guardian, 6 September 1928, Page 3

OUT OF WORK

AUCKLAND APPRENTICES DISMISSED. AUCKLAND, September 4. While their contracts with their employers have not expired, a number of apprentices to the various trades aio walking the streets of Auckland at the present time, for me simple reason that the firms that engaged them have gone into liquidation and dismissed them as a consequence! A number of firms have been forced to put up tbe shutters because of financial stringency, hut trade union secretaries complain that others have deliberately taken advantage of tlie law as it applies to liquidation to reorganisee tboir businesses. Mr R. H. Barter, secretary of the .Motor Mechanics’ Union, stated this morning that the Apprenticeship Committee of Umt trade had investigated cases where firms going into voluntary liquidation had dismissed their apprentices Enquiries from the Labour Department revealed that the boys had no redress . This meant that at the moment, there were 14 apprentices who had served terms ranging from months to four years out of employment, with no prospect of being engaged in other garages. ,1,- A H. Dixon, secretary ol the furniture trade, said that nine apprentices had been thrown out of work because one furniture firm went into voluntary liquidation. AVhen the um was nppraoclied about the matte I 1 ' pointed out that it had done nl mis power to find other positions fm the boys, but what it did was practical!) Similar cases were reported by the secretary of the Plumbers’ and Gaslit.r ’• /\!v T Clark'), who explniuters’ Union (Mi -J- uanv>, od however, that employers in »• trade who had gone into liquid a tun wore forced to do so. The trouWe appeared to be that it was too easy for people to get credit and sot up min. - ness on limited capital.