SAFEGUARDING APPRENTICES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 131, 30 November 1926, Page 14

SAFEGUARDING APPRENTICES

CONTROL BOARD SUGGESTED

AEBITBATION COURT "NOT SYMPATHETIC." : ;

The question o£ the welfare of apprentices generally, which is arousing widespread interest, was discussed at a largely-attended meeting of, the Trades and Labour Council and members of the Apprenticeship Cominitteeu last week in. the Trados Hall, Mr. F. Cornwall presiding. Mr. Cornwell pointed out that the objoct of the meeting was to get a consensus of opinion from the apprenticeship committees as to the difficulties met with in the administration of the Act. Difficulties, explained Mr. Cornwell; anticipated, but not the difficulties which had been met. The real difficulty, it seemed to him, was the making of the Arbitration the board of control. The Court, in his opinion, was not sympathetic to the apprenticeship question, and the main solution lay in setting up an independent board of control such as was suggested by the workers' representative when the Act was being'formcd. He held the opinion that in some of the trades the committees were functioning fairly satisfactorialy, and in such cases it had resulted in a better understanding between tho apprentice and the employer, and to the advantage of both. In other trades the employers were ignoring the provisions of the Act, and the Court, as the board of control, was letting things slide.in such cases instead of exercising the powers conferred upon it by the Act. The meeting then entered into a general discussion on a resolution which had for its objects: (1) The urging of the Government to amend the Act by making . provision for, an independent board of control, and (2) protesting against the unsatisfactory manner of supervision over apprentices by the Labour Department, provided for in the Act. ■ ;■■■■ .:■• The Plumbers' Apprenticeship Committee representatives gave a number of instances where they had failed to get the information from the Department necessary7 for the carrying out of the work of tho committee until long "after it would be of real value. The Plasterers' Apprenticeship Committee produced. correspondence covering difficulties which had arisen in the registration of apprentices in that trade. Members were roi" the opinion that if the registration of apprentices was to be carried out as it should be, the Government should- find an officer in the Labour Department for that purpose; to leave it as a side-line for an officer with already too much to do, meant to have it sadly neglected, as is the position now. The electrical workers' committee contended :that in their trade the position was worse since ihis Act than before, instancing cases where apprenticeship contracts were being broken with impunity, and there was no possibility of exercising proper control over the situation unless more inspectors were on the job by the Labour Department. The Engineers' Apprenticeship Committee ' testified to only having hold four meetings since the Act came into operation. It was held by them that the employers in the engineering trade, at any rate, wero not concerned about producing better tradesmen, but with two apprentices to • one' journeyman, were making the best of the situation in using.the apprentices simply as cheap labour. Other committees voiced opinions on similar lines to the engineers.