LOST TIME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 January 1941, Page 9

LOST TIME

j IN WAR AND OTHER : INDUSTRIES 1 MINISTER’S SURVEY OF POSITION ABSENTEES NOT ON WHOLE NUMEROUS, SOME IMPORTANT FACTORS. ! 'By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Comment on statements in the Press during the past day or two regarding absenteeism by factory employees after the holidays was made last night by the Minister of Supply. Mr. Sullivan. • who said that he had inquired in the ' four main centres and had found that I the position was not as bad as would ! appear from the published statements, j ■'While it is a matter for serious reI gret that a number of factory em- . ployees, including, unfortunately, some I who are engaged on military work. ! have not taken a more serious view of j their responsibility to the nation. I am i pleased to say that by far the greatest ; majority have returned to work on the i due date.” said the Minister. "To • those loyal workers who returned to ■ the workshops and factories at the appointed time I express my thanks, and ■ to those who for various reasons have i absented themselves I wish again to I point out that they are doing their inI dustry and New Zealand a serious disI service. A lost hour and a lost day evan never be made up. It is gone forever. The great majority of our workers are as loyal to the nation and the Empire, and are as anxious to help the war effort as the workers in any other part of the Empire. FACTORY PERCENTAGES. ‘ I have had inquiries made in 10 large factories in Wellington. The percentage of absentees on January 6 varied greatly in the -different fac-J tcries. Ono factory reported that 40 per cent, of its employees were absent. and another had only 3 per cent, away. Some factories reported that the position was much better than last year, others that it was worse. "In Auckland there have been no complaints from the factories from which I made inquiries; indeed, one factory had only one absentee out of a staff of 300. It has also been reported in the Press that 99 per cent, of the employees of the Colonial Ammunition Company were back at work on the due date. In Christchurch one large firm employing nearly 400 hands i had only 13 absentees. Another firm I in Christchurch had 42 per cent, of absentees. In Dunedin there were no j complaints. One large firm had no ab- i sentees, and another .5 per cent., another .6 per cent. —this latter from a staff of 800.

"I mention th.ese figures to show that absenteeism is not a disease affecting every factory worker in New Zealand. The figures prove that in many instances there have been practically none who did not report for i work at the normal time. In other i cases there have been large numbers I absent. There must be a reason for this great disparity. GOOD RELATIONS VITAL. "Unfortunately it would seem that the relationship between employers j and employees in individual factories ' sometimes enters into matters of this [ kind. In the course of my inquiries . 1 have found that in one factory employing a large number of women and J girls the average absentee rate is ! about 3.7 per cent. The management of ; that particular factory makes a special I point of co-operating with the stall, considering their welfare, and obtaining their goodwill. Its premises are spotlessly clean, free medical attention is provided, there is an excellent cafeteria, a bonus is paid on production. and continuous work is guarani teed. j "The manager of another factory in | a recent letter states: "It is very diffii cult to give statistical reasons for the ! spirit of loyalty and co-operation that we believe exists in this firm today, but we as employers are extremely proud of our entire staff, and the writer sincerely believes that monetary surpluses and profits will look after themselves if we look after our employees ami treat them as humans and our equals ’ "Admittedly the conditions obtaining in these two large factories are exceptional but they are not troubled with the quesloin of irregular attendance,’’ the Minister continued. In both instances the principles of goodwill and understanding are in practice to a considerable degree, and the question naturally arises as to whether the human relationships in other types of rnanufacaturing establishments would i not be improved under similar management and control.

"I hold no brief for (hr* man or woman who wilfully and without adequate reason absents himself or herself from work, thus reducing production. and probably holding up the production of others. At the same time I would .strongly urge that there should be a greater spirit of coo-cration between employer and employee The two Ltc’ories ! have referred t<> (and 1 c< old mention others’ have demon-strah-i that a human relationship can b< a greater spirit <>f co-<'perati<>n bewhieh each person, engaged pulls his it her Weight with benefit to all concerned. 1 am sure that what can be achieved in isolated cases can lie extended generally throughout industry if the correct approach r made to all problems involved ”