DISABLED SOLDIERS

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 135, 5 December 1917, Page 7

DISABLED SOLDIERS

THEIR TRAINING AND

EMPLOYMENT

INDUSTRIAL AWARDS SUS-

PENDED.

An or<2er-in-Council gazetted last night suspends the operations of all industrial awards and all the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation Act in scJ far as they prevent, or restrict the training or employment of returned soldiers in certain industries. This means I the suspension of the provisions -in awards governing the issue of under-rate workers' permits as applying to returned soldiers. j Following is the explanatory schedule attached to the Order-in-Council:— 1. For the purposes of this Order-in-Council —"Discharged soldier" means a. discharged soldier within the meaning of the Discharged Soldiers' Settlement Act, 1915, who is incapable of efficiently working at his previous occupation by reason of disablement contracted during his period of military service. "Minister" means the Minister for the time being in charge of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department. EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING OF DISCHARGED SOLDIERS. 2. (1) Application by a discharged soldier to be trained and employed pursuant to this Order-in-Council may be made to the Discharged Soldiers' Iriiormation Department in such form as niay be prescribed by the Minister. (2) On receipt of any such application the Minister, or such person as he may direct in tlia behalf, shall cause enquiries to be made, and if it appears that the applicant is a. suitable person to be trained, and thpt- the industry or the .branch or branches thereof in which employment and training- are sought by the applicant are such that the applicant, having, regard to his education and-his physical condition, may bo expected to attain a reasonable degree of proficiency therein, the Minister or other person tls aforesaid may approve, of the application, subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth. (3.) The application approved as aforesaid'shall thereupon be transmitted to such' inspector of factories . as may be authorised by tho Chief Inspector of Factories to receive and deal -with <the same.

3. The inspector^ shall forthwith issue to the applicant a,temporary permit to be trained'and employed in the industry, or oiie or irioTG "branches thereof, at such rate of wages as he considers the appli'^ant may be able to earn. Such temporary permit shall continue in force fbr one month from the date the^df, tut may be extended by the inspector for not more i than one month.

4. (i) If at any time before the expiry of the temporary permit by effluxion of time the applicant desires' and the employer is willing to continue the training and employment, the inspector shall, after giving the union concerned in the award or industrial a reasonable opportunity of expressing its views, issue to the applicant a permit to be trained and employed in the industry, or any branch or branches thereof, at'such rate of Wages as he thinks fit, and for such period as may be. agreed on between the applicant and the, employer. Every such permit shall bo subject to the approval of the Minister, or of such, other as the Minister may authorise in that belwlf. '■ ■

(2) In fixing, the rats of wages the inspector may prescribe a scale of increases for. successive portions of the period of training, and he may, riot oftener than onco in three.' months, on being satisfied from the progress mado.'by the applicant that the wages should be^advanced in accordance with the scale, increase the rate of wages accordingly. . V . i 5. During tho currency of such peTmit ! it shall be the duty of the employer to (ateach, and the duty of the applicant to leatn, tho work of the industry or branch or branches thereof specified "in tho perI mit, and such duty to teach and to learn I as may be prescribed in the award or in- : dustrial agreement for apprentices shallI'apply to the employer and the applicant. | 6. Notwithstanding anything in this Order-in-Council, if the applicant seriously misconducts nimself or is repeatedly absent from his duties, the employer may I notify tho Minister thereof, and tho Minister may, if he thinks fit, cancel the permit. . - 7. In any case where an applicant has,. I since his incapacity, lieen employed in the industry or branch 'thereof to whichl his application relates for not loss than one month, the provisions of this Order-in-Council as to tho issuo of temporary permits shall not apply, and the inspector may, on the approval of the application, prusuant to clause; 2 hereof, forthwith issue a permit under clause 4 hereof. EMPLOYMENT OF DISCHARGED SOLDIERS OTHERWISE THAN FOR PURPOSES OF TRAINING* 8. Application by a discharged soldier, for employment not being an application for employment and training under the foregoing provisions of this Order-in-Council may be made by;him direct to any inspector of factories who is authorised in writing by the Chief Inspector of Factories to receive and deal with tho same. .. 9. (1) The inspector may, if he thinks ht, thereupon issue a temporary permit for the employment of the applicant, for a period of not more than one month, at such rate of wages and' upon -such other ■conditions as he thinks fit, and shall before the ftxpiry of such temporary permit, make enquiry as to the fitness of the applicant for such employment, a.nd. shall giv.p to the union which is bound by tho award or industrial agreement a reasonable opportunity of expressing its views upon tho application. / ' (2) He may thereupon, if Wthinks fit, issuo to tho applicant a permit to be employed in the industry for such term, at such rate of wages, and on such conditions as he thinks fit.