WORKERS' PLAN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 192, 15 August 1941, Page 8

WORKERS' PLAN

BUILDING INDUSTRY

REPLY TO HON. P. C. WEBB

A repty to the statement by the Hon. P. C. Webb that the Government is determined to proceed with the training of carpenters and other building workers under the auxiliary workers' training scheme was made this morning by Mr. R. Stanley, national secretary of the New Zealand Carpenters' Association and secretary of the Auckland Building Trades Council.

Mr. Stanley said: "Mr. Webb stresses the importance of housing for the people. With this the Carpenters' Association and indeed the whole of the workers in the Building Trades Federation entirely agree. But Mr. Webb alleges a shortage of skilled labour and that the carpenters and other workers are not prepared to co-operate in the public interest. We flatly deny that there is any shortage of skilled labour for essential works. The labour forces available are not used on essential work.

The building trades workers, led by the carpenters, have been seeking in vain the co-operation of the Government since 1939 in a comprehen-1 sive plan to replace the present chaos of the industry by a regulated and co-ordinated scheme. In this quest building workers have been supported by the national executive of the Federation of Labour. " Facts to be Faced " "While Mr. Webb defends his scheme he must face the following facts:—(l) All the Government's past attempts to solve the problem of labour supply for the building industry have failed. It acted on incorrect advice when (a) it imported carpenters from Australia specifically for State housing construction. In spite of the cost of importing these men, the Government utterly failed to prevent them from being absorbed by private builders on non-essential work, (b) It proposed to recruit men for the industry from scheme 13. Statistics show that a very small percentage of these men are suitable for training in skilled work. Very few are below 35 years of age. "(2) Although the Government has control of all building permits through the Building Controller, it allows many non-essential works to be proceeded with, thus absorbing much of the skilled labour which should be available for housing and other buildings required in the national interest. An analysis of returns shows that 49.7 per cent of private building activity and 57.5 per cent of Government civil works is non-essential or could be deferred in favour of works of immediate importance. , „ , "(3) The Government has faded to exercise its statutory right to oblige builders to train their full quotas of apprentices. Labour Department figures in respect ot four large Auckland firms are an astounding indictment of the neglect of private enterprise in training apprentices. The figures show that of a total of 666 journeymen, involving a quota of 222 apprentices, only 31 are under contract, leaving a shortage of 191.

"Fourteen Weeks a Year Lost" "(4) The present labour force is not being employed for a full 40hour week. The figures of Professor Tocker, submitted to the Arbitration Court, showed that the average annual income of building trades workers was £215, or slightly more than £4 per week! This means that between 60 to 70 working days are lost overall by workers in the industry. It shows the sheer failure to use the available labour. Fourteen weeks a year lost, in spite of overtime being worked! Yet the master builders stated: —'Extension of hours is the only thing we are prepared to discuss.' "(5) The industry is in a chaotic state, and the master builders and the Government's advisers are completely bankrupt of ideas for its effective reorganisation. (6) For the past five years the workers' organisations have done extensive research into the problems of the industry. Since a report has been in the Government's hands, based on the famous Wheatley Plan which was so effective when applied in the United Kingdom until it was killed by the defeat of the second Labour Government. (7) A 'Workers' Plan for the Building Industry/ based on that research has been evolved, and is now being published in book form. It lays down a programme for the continued application of labour to the needs of the country; the elimination of waste; the elimination of slums; the elimination of excessive private profit. Returned Soldiers "(8) The 'plan' provides for the training of the labour force along comprehensive and sound lines; the rehabilitation of returned soldiers in the building industry and every other aspect of the labour force. It provides for continuous employment of building workers on a minimum weekly wage, the elimination of lost time, payment of annual holidays and statutory holidays for all building workers. (9) The report on which the 'plan' is based has been approved by the Federation of Labour. At a recent conference of building trades unions convened bv the federation it was almost unanimously endorsed.

"(10) The Government has ignored the National Association of Carpenters and its affiliations in its enforced introduction of the present auxiliary workers training scheme. It is so unsatisfactory that the employers object to it. They have been privileged to examine the scheme. The details of the scheme have never been placed in the hands of the Carpenters' Association. The Government calls for our co-operation without allowing us to submit Our proposals as an alternative. These proposals are based on the actual performance of the industry in the past, and if adopted would solve all the problems of housing and other building. Buiiding workers are second to none in their demand for 'Houses first.' Many of them are living in the hovels to which Mr. Webb recently drew public attention. (11) There is no shortage of skilled labour for the essential needs of New Zealand. The 'plan' lays sound foundations for a permanent output to eliminate accumulated shortages and maintain the building industry as a balanced and co-ordinated unit in our economic life. It is fundamentally sound and the only way to overcome the present chaos."