Study of footwear

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33963, 2 October 1975, Page 11

Study of footwear

Z Press Association) DUNEDIN, September 29. A voluntary study of the workings of the footwear industry has been recommended by the New Zealand Footwear Manufacturers’ Federation. This was decided at the federation’s annual conference in Dunedin today following an address by Mr G. H. Datson, the deputy secretary to the Department of Trade and Industry. Mr Datson said that the i Government expected manu- ! factoring to develop at a ! faster rate than all other sectors of the economy, with i a few minor exceptions. “Our terms of trade will i move againt us as long as ' we depend on agricultural . products, and unprocessed , raw materials. We must

[diversify our economy to compensate for weaknesses inherent in these products. We need to concentrate in a positive manner on manufacturing,” he said. Industry should thus plan ahead, he said, and the study programme was set up in this light. “We need to help manufacturing to take an aggres- ! sive push. We are asking industry itself to see where it is, where it wants to go, and how it wants to get there, and how the Government can help,” Mr Datson said. He called on manufacturers to co-operate, and to adopt a “total industry” approach. The federation would undertake the study in association with other bodies involved in the industry, such as distributors, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, consumers and labour. Mr Datson said that footwear companies should also Hook to exporting 20 per

cent of their total production, and set up joint ventures with companies in other countries. The New Zealand Foot-, wear Manufacturers’ Federation will investigate the undertaking of an industry study within the framework of the Government’s industry strategy programme. The annual meeting of the federation in Dunedin decided today to set up a steering committee to have liason with the Department of Trade and Industry, and discuss the merits of such a programme. The meeting recommended co-operation with all other facets, of the footwear industry, including distribution, consumer, retailing, wholesale and labour sectors. Statistics, and findings, will remain confidential. Industry training on a national level was recommended by the Industrial Union of Employers connected with the industry. The appointment of an executive training officer to establish this training was recommended by the union. The officer would be based in Auckland, and another officer could be appointed after 12 months to be based in Christchurch. The executive training officer would be asked to concentrate on the training of supervisors, to consult with firms on their own over-all training requirements, and to ensure vigorous follow-up of all training activities in factories. It was recommended that the training officer be appointed for a minimum of three years.