MANPOWER CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1942, Page 4

MANPOWER CONTROL

ENGAGEMENT OF WORKERS. RESTRICTIONS EXTENDED. An extension of the existing restrictions on the engagement of workers is provided for in a new order of farreaching scope which has been gazetted. Up to the present employers in certain limited fields of industry have, under the Restriction of Employment Order No. 1, been required to secure the consent of a district manpower officer before engaging or attempting to engage labour, 'This order, which applied to the cities and towns specified in it, has now been revoked and replaced by th'e Restriction of Employment Order No. 2. The Minister of Industrial Manpower, Mr McLagan, said that the need to secure consent before engaging labour was now very widely extended. “The new restriction order applies to the same localities as the former order,” said the Minister, “but it applies to all employers operating in those localities. Every employer in any of the localities specified must now secure the consent of the district manpower officer before engaging any labour unless that labour is to be employed on work in an undertaking declared to be essential, on farming operations or market gardening, on ships or on the waterfront for the loading or unloading of ships, or unless the worker is to be employed as a midwife, maternity nurse, or a professional nurse for the sick. Consent must be obtained in all other cases unless the worker is employed only for a period not exceeding three consecutive days. , . “It is an offence under the regulations for any employer to whom the order applies to engage or attempt co engage labour other than for these purposes without first obtaining the consent of the district manpower officer. : It is, for example, an offence now to engage a domestic servant without permission. ~ j “The order does not mean that permission will be refused,” added the Minister. “It means that at the* lime the employer applies for permission, opportunity will be taken to weigh up the claims for that worker of the employer concerned as against the Dominion’s need for the services of that worker elsewhere. Thus each apphcation will bo dealt with on its -merits in reference to circumstances prevailing at the time. It is not intended to prevent employers from ascertaining whether or not labour might be available by the usual methods of advertising provided they do not engage oi attempt to engage that labour before receiving consent to do so. The order applies in the four mam centres, in all other centres where district manpower officers are located, and also in Ashburton, Caiteiton, Hastings. Johnsonville, Kaiapoi, Milton, Mosgiel. Port Chalmers, Petone, and Stratford.