FREEZING INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 117, 12 February 1944, Page 6

FREEZING INDUSTRY

Use Of Territorial Force Labour STATEMENT BY MINISTER A statement which appeared iu the Press a few days ago accredited to a prominent man in the freezing industry, and which questioned certain facts announced recently by the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan, in Christchurch, was referred to by the Jlinister last evening. “Regarding the allegation, which has now been made that advantage was taken of the request for manpower for the industry to divert to freezing works for the week before Christmas, a considerable body of Territorials with only a part of their training period still to go, this statement is entirely contrary to fact,” said the Minister. “The position is that no Territorials were placed with the freezing companies prior to the holidays. In fact, in one of the main centres at least no Territorials have been placed at all in the freezing works, while in the few other centres involved, - any Territorials diverted to this work were placed after the holidays, “The statement that men out of the military camps on 28-day transfer were placed prior to Christinas does not tell the full story,” added the Minister. "The position was that to meet the urgent demands being made by the -freezing companies arrangements were made by the Government with the arpiy to release a large number of men from the military camps prior to Christmas for employment in the freezing works. When these workers were offered to the companies, some of . them took advantage of the offer and engaged the men as soon as they were available, while other companies refused to accept the men till after the holiday period.” The Minister said that with reference to the Rest Perot] Regulations, which were also commented on in the recent Press statement, the purposes of these regulations were to provide a rest period of five days between Christmas and New Year for all workers who were not entitled to annual holidays on pay under the terms of their employment. It was true that in devioing these regulations the Government bad regard to the fact that the war was now in its fifth year, arid that consequently the need for a reasonable rest period was greater than in previous years if the maximum health nnd efficiency were to be maintained. This had been the experience ip Great Britain and other countries. “Does the correspondent suggest that the freezing workers are the one body of workers that should hot participate in the benefits granted under the regulations?” said Mr. Sullivan. “It may be stated that the period prior to Christmas was quieter in the freezing industry than in previous yeate. Nevertheless the strain on workers and employers in essential industries has been spread over the year and previous years since the wag commenced.”.