Fire Bd. Discusses Women Workers

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30981, 10 February 1966, Page 14

Fire Bd. Discusses Women Workers

There was nothing to stop the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board from employing women for watch-room duties under the proposed new system to employ civilians, said the board’s chairman (Mr W. R. Campbell) at the board’s meeting last evening.

In some cases, he said, the New Zealand Urban Fire Authorities Employers’ Union thought that female operators could be quite valuable, as they were in the Post Office in telephone services. But the general feeling was that while there was no restriction on women, male staff should first be sought. “One of the difficulties would be the dog-watch,” said Mr Campbell. “We have not determined what that would be—but say 11 o'clock until 7 o’clock. “Say we had only one—we would not like one lady in the watch room.” Mr W. E. Olds: It would cost a lot of money for women’s toilet facilities. Mr Campbell said it was hoped that the obtaining of civiiiain staff for watch room duties would relieve operational staff from watch-room duties. The board gave its Chief Fire Officer (Mr L. R. Osmond) authority to engage civilian staff and to train them in readiness for the starting date of May 1. In Conciliation The agreement to employ civilians in watch-rooms was made in conciliation council, said Mr Campbell. In the day time, he said, there would be an extra demand for watch-room staff by reason of testing done in the watch-room. But the size of the staff had not yet been determined.

Mr Campbell said that the union had asked that consideration be given to men who had retired from the brigade for the watch-room staffing and this been done. x Mr Osmond said that it should be possible to get some people with a physical disability that stopped them from doing full manual work.