MEN FOR INDUSTRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 January 1942, Page 4

MEN FOR INDUSTRY

MEASURES FOR CONTROL

UNDERTAKINGS DEEMED ESSENTIAL. BEST USE OF DOMINION’S RESOURCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Measures for the control ol industrial manpower, which are contained in important amendments to the National Service Emergency Regulations, 1940, were announced last night by the Prime Minister, Mr Eraser. The new regulations give the Minister of National Service power to declare any industry or undertaking to be essential, and such a declaration immediately places the industry or Tindertalcing concerned and the employers and workers connected with it under the control of the Minister.

The new measures will come into force immediately. Mr Fraser said the object of them was to ensure the best use of the Dominion’s industrial manpower in a situation calling for heavy withdrawals of men for defence purposes while at the same time imposing further demands on industries concerned with war production. The list of industries and undertakings declared to be essential was also announced by the Prime Minister. Other industries may be declared essential from time to time as circumstances warrant. The amendments now brought down fall into two main parts covering respectively the conservation of labour in essential industries, and the mobilising of additional labour resources for essential production. MINISTER’S POWERS. The power of the Minister of National Service to declare any industry or undertaking to be essential will be exercised through district manpower officers located at the various State Placement Service Offices, whose prior consent in writing is necessary before employment can be terminated. This applies equally to employers and workers, so that in effect any employer wishing to terminate the engagement of an employee, or any employee wishing to leave his employment is required to apply to the district manpower officer for permission. He is also required to give at least seven days’ notice of his intention to leave subject to consent being given. Workers in an essential undertaking are (subject to the above provisions) to be kept in full-time employment and are required to carry out, subject to certain conditions, any work in the undertaking of which they are capable during any periods when work in their occupation is not available. ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES. The following industries and undertakings have been declared to be essential: — Firms engaged in the production of — Munitions; minesweepers; farimile launches; cases for packing munitions; waxed cardboard containers for ammunition carriers; component parts for ammunition carriers; water bottle covers (military); footwear and fire-fighting equipment. ' • Coalmining. Woollen mills; knittink mills or factories; rubber mills; and clothing factories where engaged on defence contracts. Tanneries. Firms engaged on work essential to military construction and communications. The New Zealand Government Railways in respect of railway workshops, the locomotive operating branch, the traffic and stores branch, the signal and electrical branch and the maintenance branch. Butter and cheese factories. The De Havilland Aircraft Company. Linen flax mills. Employees of public and private hospitals. Gas and electric power production and supply. Ship repairing. Flax industry (including woolpack factory). Freezing works. Timber industry.

Other industries may be declared essential from time to time as circumstances warrant.

In essential undertakings, it is made an offence against the regulations for any person to be absent from work without reasonable excuse, or to be habitually or persistently late, or to fail to perform his work with due diligence, or to fail to exercise proper skill and care in the performance of his work.

REGISTRATION FOR EMPLOYMENT In order to ensure that the future labour requirements of essential industry can be met and thgt the entire available manpower and women-power of the country can be used to best advantage, the amendment enables the Minister to require any specified class or classes of persons to register for employment. Men who have been called up for military service but who, by reason of medical grading or postponement are not for the time being serving with the armed forces, are deemed to be already registered. A person who has registered may be directed by the District Manpower Officer to undertake any employment or training for employment. All persons registered are required to notify the officer immediately of any change of occupation, employment or address.

A person transferred from one employment to another under a direction of the district manpower officer must subject to the prescribed conditions, be subsequently reinstated in his former employment.

APPEAL TRIBUNALS.

Where a person is aggrieved by any decision or direction of a district manpower officer, there is provision for the person concerned to request the officer to refer the matter for further consideration to the special committees appointed for the purpose. The officer must comply with the request and the decision of the committee is final. The amendments contain two further provisions of considerable importance. The Minister of National Service is given power to control the inflow of labour into industries or undertakings, by requiring employers specified to secure the consent of a district manpower officer before engaging any worker. The Minister is also given power to require any person or class of persons to apply for enrolment in the Emergency Reserve Corps and, if the application Js accepted, to serve in the E.P.S. or any specified branch of the corps.