DISMISSALS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 301, 20 December 1937, Page 14

DISMISSALS.

FACTORY WORKERS.

COMPLAINTS TO MINISTER.

WARNING ISSUED.

(By Telegrnph.—Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, Saturday.

The intention of the Government to legislate if necessary to prevent certain employers from acting unfairly toward their workers because of loopholes in the law was reiterated by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, in ao interview.

Mr. Armstrong said- that complaints had been received from various parte of the Dominion that employers in certain factories were notifying their employees that they would finish up before the Christmas holidays. In some cases workers were being told to apply for their positions again after the holi-

days, and there were a few instances in which they were not even being told that.

"Complaints have heen made to me that in some cases they are dispensing with the services of employees," said the Minister, "and not on the ground of there being not sufficient work', because a number of factories have been working overtime in the past two or three months. The reason in some instances must be partly a desire to avoid the responsibility of the holidays and partly an intention to dispense with the services of older boys and girls entitled to higher wages and replace them with youngsters just leaving school.

"If employers take advantage of the position in that way they are not playing the game, and the Government will be forced to legislate to prevent a recurrence. They might get away with it this time. They might win the first round, but we will win all the rest," concluded Mr. Armstrong.