DILUTION OF LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 175, 21 April 1937, Page 12

DILUTION OF LABOUR

Principle Recognised in Engineering Trade OVERSEAS COMPETITION "An important, principle embodied in the new industrial agreement is that manufacturing engineering cannot be carried on in this country in competition with overseas concerns without the dilution of labour.” states the report presented at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Federated Ironmasters’ Association, in Wellington, yesterday. “Th<> agreement recognises the need fop this dilution and makes provision for lhe employment of process workers, junior workers, other than apprentices, and for female workers,” the report continues. It also states that during the last year there had been increased- activity in the engineering trade, and at the present time a real difficulty was being experienced in obtaining sufficient skilled workers. The improved conditions had arisen from the greater prosperity experienced by New Zealand as a whole. This, iu turn, had been mainly due to the high prices received for exports. Other factors had been the increased expenditure on public works, and the greater confidence iu the immediate future felt by the community as a whole. The most important work of the federation during the year was that pertaining to the making of new awards for all sections of the engineering industry. Tlie negotiations which resulted iu a complete agreement as to terms and conditions of employment for engineers and moulders wore very lengthy. but the result as a whole must bo regarded as fairly satisfactory. Some omissions had been disclosed, however, and the agreement was to be regarded more as a foundation to work on in the future than as something complete in itself.