FEMALE LABOUR

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 976, 20 May 1930, Page 10

FEMALE LABOUR

WILL NOT DISPLACE JOURNEYMEN EMPLOYERS CONTENTION A resolution of protest by the Brass - 1 moulders', Boilermakers’ and Iron and ■, Steel Shipbuilders’ Union against an , application by the employers to the Arbitration Court for the introduction of female labour into certain branches of the engineering trades has drawn a strong criticism from Mr. S. E. Wright, secretary of the Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association. In a statement to The Sun, Mr. Wright outlines ■ the employers’ case as follows: The resolution is liable to give the public quite a wrong impression of the object of the application made to the Arbitration Court by the New Zealand Federated Ironmasters’ Association. The facts of the case are that when the engineering trades’ award was made last year the question of the employment of unskilled labour on the manufacturing side of the business was discussed before the Arbitration Court. The court, however, was not quite satisfied at that time that the introduction of unskilled labour would be in the best interests of the industry, but included a clause in the award to the following effect: “The court reserves power on the application of any party, to be made at any time after six months from the date hereof, to amend the provisions of this award insofar as it relates to the manufacturing section of the industry, or to make a separate award in respect thereof.” The present application by the ironmasters is made in accordance with the above clause. The employers claim that the employment of unskilled labour and female workers in the simpler operations, as is done in Great Britain and other competing countries, will enable them to manufacture many lines, now' being imported. This will also provide steady work for a number of journeymen, now unemployed, at award rates for the skilled portions of the work. One firm, at l„east, In Auckland is prepared to put down a plant to manufacture a line not hitherto made in New' Zealand if an award such as is suggested can be obtained, which wil.l provide work for a number of skilled workmen, as well as for unskilled workThe unions, in opposing an award, as outlined above are adopting a very short-sighted policy, and in demanding that only skilled journeymen shall be employed in doing simple work which rs done by boys and girls in other countries makes the progress of the manufacturing side of the iron industry in New Zealand a practical impossibility, with its consequent unemployment of our local workers. The new award asked for is intended to apply to the manufacturing side of the industry only, involving a large amount of repetition work and will not in any way affect the present award so far as general engineering is concerned.