LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 17, 20 January 1934, Page 18

LABOUR NOTES.

UNION ACTIVITIES.

(By INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.) UNION MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. Monday, January 22.—Butchers, Gas Clerks. Wednesday, January 24.—Tramway Employees, 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday, January 25. —Coopers, UNEMPLOYMENT. It is generally conceded that the two months on each side of the Christmas and New Year holidays are the in the year so far as employment is concerned. Prior to Christmas everybody is getting ready for the festive season, and naturally desire their premises to wear a cheerful aspect, shopkeepers are selling their goods to a public that increases its spending power at that time of the year, while property owners manage to find the money to put a new coat of paint on their houses, as well as necessary repairs, as part of our modern system of spring cleaning. Harvesting and hay-making is the country districts are in full swing before and after Christmas,, with the result that a big amount of skilled and general labour is absorbed.

At the present time there are insistent demands from outside districts for labour under the various schemes instituted by the Unemployment Board; there are not enough single men willing to go into camp in the country, and married men are called to "volunteer" to go to camp to fill the breach. The term "volunteer" is used in a euphemistic sense, for the men are told that there is no work near home for them to do, and if they do not volunteer for camp work they will have to g'o off the unemployment list. This is not a new system of "volunteering," as it was freely used last year by the Government under the "voluntary" conversion of loans scheme, in which'holders of war bonds, debentures and loans to the Government, were notified to voluntarily exchange them for a new i&sue for a further period, at a reduced rate of interest. The penalty of non-compliance with this patriotic appeal was a lowering of the specified rate of interest by 33 per cent. And so. in the volunteering by married men tor camp dutv there is a stronsr leverage used. I do not blame the officers who administer the policy of the Government or Unemployment Board; they have their instructions and these have to out. "Their, tat.to comply, theirs not to reason why. I hi* svstem of breaking up t/je home life of married men<J» going into camp is decried by evcryWfc- from the • Archbishop downwards, and should •re (stopped at once.

LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE. This year the annual conference wil! he held in the South Island, Christchurch . being chosen. The coming gathering, which "will be held at Eastar, is regarded as heins; unusually important, and as the delegates will foregather in a city where Labour is strongly entrenched in local and national politics, it may he regarded as in "some respects unique in the history 'of the party. It is natural to assume that this assemblage of the chosen of Labour will feel very much at home in the Cathedral City, where they will he welcomed by a Labour Mayor, and may, if so disposed, ride in tramcars managed by a Labour Tramway Board. The conference agenda, paper has not yet been completed,.remits being still under'consideration by party, branches. Despite the-fact that it is many years since an important conference of this character has assembled in Christchurch, there can be no doubt' that the arrangements will ' compare favourably with tho=e made' on many similar occasions in Wellington. The local Labour Representation Committee, is charged with making all the preliminary preparations for the reception and entertainment of the visiting delegates.

Exactly 30 years ago I was an Auckland delegate to the annual conference of the Trades and Labour Councils of the Dominion held at Christchurch. This was long before the advent of Labour Mayors ;or councillors, but the conference was-granted :tha privilege of holding their session in the City Council chamber for a whole weelc, and we were treated right royally, and Christchurch hospitality has not depreciated since then.'

THE WORKING WEEK. More than 10,000 workmen employed in the factories of Pilkington Brothers, Lancashire, one of the largest glass making firms in the world, will be benefited by the firm's decision to reduce the working week from 46 to 42 hours, without wage reduction (reports "Industrial Britain"). The ; new shorter week is now operating in the firm's three factories at' St. Helens, Lancashire, in addition to the factory at Kirk Sandall, hear. Doncaster, Yorkshire. LA. The change has been made possible by the development of saving devices. The question of a '40-Boiir week Is being discussed in several other Lancashire industries. While there is little prospect of its introduction into the cotton industry, the scheme is to be discussed in Manchester by the engineering employers' association.

A bill to give effect to a shorter working week, probably . the 30-hour week, which Mr. William Green, president of the American Federation of Labour, has been advocating, will be introduced on behalf of the federation after the opening of the National Parliament at Washington in the New Year, and speculation on the matter suggests (says a Labour exchange) that it has a good chance of becoming law. Though the number of unemployed has been reduced by some millions 1 since President Roosevelt took office, tbe total out of work still is only a little short of 10,000,000, and there is a definite trend of official and public favour toward increasingly shorter hours as a means of decreasing the unemployed. Despite discouragement under the National Recovery Act, the Federation of Labour refuses to give up the right to strike as a last resort.

ITALIAN WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT.

Signor Mussolini, in an order issued a few weeks ago, all but abolished the employment of women in public offices, when the number of women workers in State offices was limited to 5 per cent of the tqtal number on the staff. This limitation applies to State, provincial, communal offices and to State financial concerns. In "inferior" forms of employment, which referred principally to telephone operators, women may number 20 per cent of the total. The order is a further indication of Signor Mussolini's determination, to see that Italian women keep house and raise families. Further employment of women is prohibited until the number already, holding jobs has been reduced to the prescribed total. Employment in schools and hospitals is not affected by the order.