RECONVERSION OF INDUSTRY

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24749, 14 December 1945, Page 6

RECONVERSION OF INDUSTRY

PROGRESS IN BRITAIN EASING OF LABOUR CONTROLS LIKELY (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 12.30 a.m.) LONDON. Dec. 13. Britain's reconversion from war to peace-time production is slowly gathering speed. Latest figures issued by the Ministry of Labour show a return of men and women from the forces, civil defence, and munition work to civilian industries, and ■ manufacture for export gradually rising, and that by the end of this year more than 2.250.000 workers will have made the change.' During October, the number of people employed in civilian industry increased by 341,000, compared with 246.000 a month during the previous three months.

The Ministry’s figures also show that men and women are leaving the forces and munitions work faster than peacetime industry is increasing. Some of the released people will retire from work, and it is estimated that, of nearly 267.000 unemployed on November 12. nearly 54.000 married women will seek no further employment. Unemployment has increased by 33.000 since the middle of October, and will, it is expected, reach 300,000 by the end of the year. An explanation of this rising trend at a time when there are reports of a genera! shortage of workers is that much of the released labour is in or returning to areas where there is delay in developing new peace-time chances of work. Another 29 Government factories have been handed over to civilian industry. bringing the total to -170. It is estimated that they will employ between 300.000 and 400,000 workers. In addition. 300 new factories are to be built in development areas. Some will be built by the Government for trading estates and others by orivate enterprise.

It is expected that there will shortly be a relaxation of labour directions for both men and women over the age of 30. thereby allowing them once more to find their own jobs, without being subject to Government supervision. Restrictions on employers recruiting their staffs* are also expected to be reduced. Al] these facts are an indication that the transition of British industrial life is making slow but steady progress.