COMBINED EFFORT TO TACKLE PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 301, 16 September 1936, Page 10

COMBINED EFFORT TO TACKLE PROBLEM

Unemployed Young Men Provided that some mutually-satis-factory formula can be arrived at, combined representations are to be made to the Court of Arbitration by the New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation and the Federated Trades Councils with the object of relieving unemployment among youths between the ages of 18 and 23.. A conference was held on Monday by representatives of the two bodies, and it was stated yesterday that there was every prospect of a combined effort being made. The conference was the outcome of a letter from the manufacturers to the trades councils drawing attention to the post-depression plight of youths of from 18 to 23 years. Those who met to discuss the position were: Messrs. F. D. Cornwell, A. Black, W. Atkinson and J. Ferguson (Trades Councils), and Messrs. J. T. Spears, I. Matheson, J. G. Marshall, K. Pallo and A.' E. Mander (Manufacturers’ Federation). Subject to approval by the organisations represented at the conference, three resolutions were adopted. It was decided that the. parties to the confer? ence should make joint representations to the Minister of Labour welcoming his announcment that it was intended to exempt indentured apprentices from automatically coming under the provisions of the basic wage at the age of 21. In the absence of such exemption it was realised that employers would be unwilling to start as apprentices any youths over the age of 16; and the purpose of the recommendation was to allow older lads to enter Into indentures.

Secondly, it was decided to recommend the Minister of Labour to instruct' the district registrars of apprenticeship to call meetings of apprenticeship committees in each of the four centres in those industries where committees are not at present functioning. The Minister is to be asked also to provide by legislation for apprenticeship to be controlled by one apprenticeship committee for each industry in each of the four centres (instead of each industrial district as at present).

Thirdly, it was agreed to recommend the manufacturers’ and workers’ organisations throughout the Dominion to bring before apprenticeship committees the question of approving special contracts to allow the apprenticeship of youths starting between the ages of 18 and 23.