BRITISH LABOUR CONTROLS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 58, 18 December 1945, Page 3

BRITISH LABOUR CONTROLS

IMPORTANT CHANGES ANNOUNCED FIVE MILLION WORKERS RELEASED (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 17. About 5,000,000 men and women in Britain will be able to choose their own jobs from December 20. Another 8,750,000 over 31 will remain tied to their present employment, if they are under essential work orders. This number is likely to be reduced progressively quickly.

This is, the effect of most important changes in the Government’s control of labour announced by Mr George Isaacs (Minister of Labour and National Service). Instead of controlling future appointments of men up to 50 and women up to 40 the Government has decided that all women, except nurses and midwives, and men above 31, except building operatives and farm workers, can choose their own jobs, when they are free from their present commitments. When the calling-up age to the Forces falls, below 30, as it is likely' to do within the next three months, so will the control age fall. If the call-up age to the Forces is reduced to 27, that becomes the maximum age for control. All men up to that age will have to secure their new jobs through employment exchanges, unless they are on demobilisation leave, and all employers will have to secure the permission of the Ministry of Labour to hire men within the control age.

Other concessions are freedom to employers to advertise their labour requirements and the abolition of the registration of girls «when they reach the age of 18.

Restoring Individual Freedom

Mr Isaacs said: “The Government’s aim is to restore individual freedom as quickly as possible, but this must be done without peril to the fulfilment of urgent national needs. In particular we must preserve the existing labour force in our essential industries.” Thus essential work orders are being retained. They operate in more than 150 separate industries and “tie” 8,750,000 men and women to their present jobs out of a total civilian labour force of 16,000,000. More than half of Britain’s civilian workers, therefore, cannot leave their jobs without the permission of the National Service Officer. Mr Isaacs has also made it clear that the Government does not intend to adopt a national wages policy. It would not depart “from the existing policy of entrusting responsibility for wage regulations to tradition and the well-tried system of joint voluntary negotiation.”