WOMEN WORKERS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 2, 28 September 1943, Page 4

WOMEN WORKERS

Intensified Comb-Out For Industry

REDUCTION OF UNIFORMED RANKS

The possibility o£ a further group of women being called on to register with the National Service Department for work of national Importance has recently been exercising the minds of many employers and many women who might be affected. No call-up of women has been made since the registration of the 18-19 age group in February and it has been made clear on several occasions that the position with regard to the supply of female labour has deteriorated since then. Recently it was stated in Wellington that 8000 vacancies in essential industry had to be filled.

Though the pressure on groups of workers who are engaged in employment not considered to be contributing much, if anything, to the war effort, there are indications that now the election is over this policy may be pursued far more energetically. It is felt in many quarters that before further age groups are called ou there is considerable scope for an intensified combout among women who, on one pretext or another, are continuing to evade their obligation to assist the country’s war effort.

■Women in the armed forces are not under the jurisdiction of the National Service Department, which is obliged to apply to the armed forces for their release, while an employer has to state his case before au appeal board. However, an intimation was given just before the election that an examination, which is considered by many people to be overdue, will be' made into the situation. It is felt that the number of women in uniform can be reduced drastically without loss of efficiency in the establishments to which most are attached. Many of the girls have agreed themselves that there is unnecessary duplication, even triplication of work. There was the Auckland ease of a woman who sought release because her work consisted of answering, on an average, one telephone call a day. Wastage in Services. Alleging a wastage of womanpower in the armed services, an Auckland woman who has had much experience ou the administrative side of one branch of the services expressed the opinion that many women at present in uniform would be more useful if released to lie employed elsewhere. In many cases the fault lay with senior administrative officers, who, when the forces were small, were efficient enough, (but who did not have the necessary experience in controlling large staffs to succeed, as their jobs became very much larger, said the ex-servicewoman. She thought the greatest success had been obtained by placing women with Girl Guide experience in responsible positions. “With better selection of personnel, improved systems of' administration,and a little more cohesion," she added; “the staffs in some branches of the services could possibly be reduced by half.” There is at present a great need for women in industry. Requirements of food-packing and canning firms have to be met and the approaching seasonal demand for women workers is expected to be almost unprecedented. Students and Others.

University students are again to be directed to essential work when the vacation arrives at the end of the year. Action has already been taken by the manpower officials in Auckland concerning the direction of men and women school teachers, lecturers and students for a period next year to freezing works, dairy factories and other food production industries. ’ Following the announcement that a survey was being undertaken with a view to directing members of the. Auckland Red Cross Transport Corps into essential work inquiries were made concerning the age limit to which women were covered by the regulations. It was stated that one woman, 47 years of age, had been instructed to report to the manpower authorities for interview. Though women between the ages of 18 and 30 are required to register with the National Service Department for work of national importance it does not seem to be generally realized that practically all persons are liable' for direction to essential employment. The Industrial Manpower Emergency Regulations, 1942, cover all persons resident in New Zealand and do not specify any ages.