SKILLED LABOUR PROBLEM

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23858, 29 January 1943, Page 6

SKILLED LABOUR PROBLEM

RELIEF FOR FURNITURE TRADE EXPECTED n CANTERBURY VIEWS ON e DEVELOPMENTS 2 d With an acute shortage of skilled i- manpower in the furniture industry, d simplified practices as applied to the d manufacture of household furniture e have been fully approved by the furniture trade group of the Canterbury 1 Manufacturers’ Association because, n members believe, the simplification i- will conserve materials and will help y to enable the available manpower to work on necessary civilian and re- - habilitation requirements, while luxury n lines will be eliminated. This was made clear yesterday by s the chairman of the group (Mr L. J. - Wise), who said that the industry would t, be able to meet demands if promised - alleviation of manpower problems - materialised. ) The secretary of the association (Mr 2 R. T. Alston) said yesterday that the / group had met on Wednesday evening - and had agreed to adhere to the terms 7 of the simplified practices of the stan--3 dard specification recently outlined by f the Minister of Supply (the Hon. D. G. 2 Sullivan). t The group had been told, said Mr 3 Alston, that the Manpower Utilisation • -Council had requested in December that employees in the industry called - for military service should be appealed - for, and that there should be no call- - up of employees in the capacity of ■ cabinetmakers, chairmakers, cabinet- - making machinists, polishers, up--1 holsterers, and apprentices to these 1 journeymen. The Controller of Manpower, Mr 1 Alston said, had stated since that suitr able recommendations about such ■ workers had been sent to Armed Forces 3 Appeal Boards. ■ Mr Alston said that the council had ' in December also discussed defence i contracts, and it appeared that few con--3 tracts would be offering to South Island 3 firms this year. J Mr Wise said yesterday that his 1 group would undoubtedly endorse the 3 protest of Wellington furniture trade 1 employers against the employment of • Japanese prisoners of war in the ' trade—a proposal under consideration 3 by the Minister of Defence. The trade I wanted New Zealanders to be em- : ployed, not Japanese. It wanted the 1 retention of its own skilled men. On : the unskilled side, dozens of boys at 1 present in Christchurch were seeking r employment as apprentices in the ' furniture industry, but the industry 1 was unable to employ them as appren--2 ticeship quotas were full.