TRANSFER OF LABOUR

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23589, 17 March 1942, Page 6

TRANSFER OF LABOUR

* DEFENCE WORK NEEDS MEASURES TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION (P.A.i WELLINGTON, March 16. Steps to increase the mobility of labour power in the Dominion by transfers to centres where urgent defence work is necessary, were announced this afternoon by the Minister for National Service (the Hon. R. Semple). “In some centres,” said Mr Semple, “the' amount of labour available locally for important defence undertakings is not always sufficient to carry out the work with the required expedition. Urgent work of this nature will be necessary as occasion arises, and steps must be taken to transfer male and female labour from other parts of the Dominion to centres where the labour is required. “In some cases the work may be of a semi-permanent nature, but as a general rule it will be for limited periods only—a few weeks, or possibly months. The provision of accommodation must be arranged in advance. “Married men transferred from temporary work cannot take their families with them, and suitable accommodation must also be found for transferred female labour. To carry out urgent work speedily by bringing labour to the required point, accommodation is essential, and to ascertain what facilities are available the Women’s War Service Auxiliary has undertaken to make a house-to-house survey in the first centres selected. “Members of the W.W.S.A. will call on all householders in the near future, and householders are requested to cooperate by making known their facilities, and their willingness to lake one or more boarders. “In view of the national importance of the work on which men and women will be engaged, citizens will realise their duty to provide accommodation wherever possible. This voluntary assistance is essential to produce the quickest possible result in the national interest,’’