FEW APPEALS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 October 1942, Page 2

FEW APPEALS

AGAINST THE TRANSFER OF WORKERS TO ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY. NEEDS STILL UNSATISFIED (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Since it was first found necessary to take action to build up the country’s industrial labour •strength where it could be most effective to the war effort, just over 7,000 workers in nonessential employment have been drafted to essential jobs. Approximately 6,000 of these were men. In certain districts there are still pools of labour untouched, but the transfer of these men and women to areas where essential works are concentrated is handicapped by lack of accommodation in several areas. The problem is acute, notably in Wellington and the Hutt Valley and offers of'accommodation would be welcomed.

A gratifying feature has been the willingness of most workers to abide by the directions given them. The latest figures show that only 388 appeals against transfer have been lodged, of which 85 were withdrawn, 140 dismissed and 109 upheld, while 54 are still unheard. Of the appeals, 256 were by employers wlm were losing staff and only 132 were from persons being transferred. The number of applications to transfer employees in essential work to the end of August was 25,550, of which 10,552 came from employers and 14,998 from employees. In 12 per cent of the cases permission to terminate employment was withheld, and in those cases where permission was granted 4,541 employees were transferred to other employers in the same industry and 8,231 to other essential industries. Only 1,399 were transferred to non-essential industry and 3,704 were lost to industry for various reasons, such as marriage by women, ill-health and retirement. In respect to all those decisions, only 332 appeals were made. Of these 163 were dismissed 70 upheld, 30 withdrawn and 69 have not yet been heard. At present there are 3.855 vacancies for men in essential industry and 1,598 for women, but this does not reveal the full position as many employers, knowing the manpower authorities cannot satisfy their needs, do not bother io make them known.