WINTER WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 136, 11 June 1938, Page 7

WINTER WORK.

SEASONAL REASONS.

EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN.

SEVERAL TRADES SLACK.

Aβ far as employment of women in ecme occupations is concerned, inquiries made in Auckland to-day indicate that there ie less work offering than ha« been the casz for several yeare past. Seasonal reasons are offered a* a part explanation, but there appear* 10 bo several other factors,, operating. It was etat*a that the position in the millinery busines* compare* unfavourably with this time last year, and at the moment several manufacturing millinery firms in the city have only parttime work, or else very little work, offering for their employee**.

There is a «imilar (slackness affecting tailoressee and women engaged in the manufacture- of clothing. One of the largest Auckland firms engaged in the manufacture ol clothing intends to work a four-day week, as from next week, until the position improves. The secretary of one of the women's unions said that the position of employment in general wae much as it could be expected at thie time or the year, but their records did not disclose nn undue amount of unemployment. Thie wae explained to eome extent by the fact that many women, when they got out of one occupation, would take up some other work to tide them over a difficult period.

The principal of one of the. largest Auckland clothing manufacturing firms said that there were a number of factors operating in the direction of causing less business. In the first place there had been an extraordinary season, with a. very redur'-d demand for warm, winter clothing. The past two years had been good years for i ianv people, and they were able to restore diminished wurd-i-oltys. In tirldition there had been heavy importations from Australia, Great Britain and other countries, and postdated orders were still coining to hand. The fact that duty had to be paid on the imports did not help the Xew Zealand manufacturer to any appreciable extent. In the past few ycarß a number of email manufacturing bu>ines*ets had sprung up, a nd that meant more competition.

The speaker discounted nny sti-7-that there had been a deliberate move, on tho par* of employers t>> try and create a position unfavomable fur the floverninent. He said that the aim of any manufacturer was to run his plant and busine.-s at maximum efficiency, and no businfvse man wanted to employees who wore capable and used to particular work. It was for that reason that Auckland firms would do their best ( o keep their employees jjninir, even if it meant working shorter hourrt until the position improved.