DOMESTIC WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 13, 15 July 1936, Page 7

DOMESTIC WORKERS

RAISING THE STATUS

TRAINING PROPOSAL

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, July 14.

I Some of tlie reasons why domestic servants were excluded from the benefits .of the industrial legislation brought down by the Government were explained by the Minister' of Education (the' Hon. P. Fraser) today, in reply to a deputation which waited upon him urging the adoption of means of laising the status .of domestic servants. The deputation was representative of all branches of the Labour Party, the Workers' .Educational Association, the Theosophical Society, the Workhig Women's Movement, the Douglas Credit Women's Movement, and social workers. ...■■.-. Mrs. I. Ferguson said that the deputation wished to suggest that the Government should obtain a building where girls could board and obtajn 1 from a ■ competent matron training in | domestic work. Girls and women from 14 to 30 years of age'could be admitted, and' a diploma could be awarded after they had received training for a period of three months ,or more. The deputation wished to place before the Minister the position of women who were discharged from other employment at about 30 years of age' and could turn only to domesi tic service. Conditions of domestic , work should be made more attractive for women of-this type/ There was a need also for a;hostel where girls working in domestic service during the day could live. ! "SWEATED" CONDITIONS TO END. The Minister said that if the Government legislated to provide set wages and conditions for domestic workers it must provide for the consequences That was one of the reasons why the question had to be gone into carefully. If provision had been made that a servant should receive 30s a week and board, some would have lost their positions. Would that be fair to a'girl who was living happily in a home in which she was employed? He knew that during the: depression domestic work had been the most sweated of all industries, and that some girls -were working for 2s 6d a week. In Wellington, however, wages had gone up considerably The Government had to end sweated conditions, arid ■ the question for the Minister of r-abour .was to find .the best means of achieving that object Domestic work differed from I other work-in that it was.not carried out for- the private gain of. the employer. .It was the desire of the Government to give to domestic work.the position that its importance warranted, and the problem. was to find the best • approach to the whole matter. The Minister added that he believed that the money that had. been granted from the unemployment funds to subsidise domestic help for working men's wives had been well spent, and he was anxious to see that some form of assistance to these mothers was continued. _ . . . ' .