CLOTHING FOR WORKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 118, 14 November 1942, Page 9

CLOTHING FOR WORKERS

Kepresentations have been made by itbe Federation of Labour to the Rationing Controller and other interests concerned that extra coupons should be allowed workers in industry where wear and tear is excessive, on a basis similar to that obtaining in Britain, said the secretary, 'Mr. F. Cornwall, . yesterday. Already workers engaged m the shearing industry have been allotted 10 additional coupons a year for this purpose. Shearers and woolshed employees obtain the coupons from their union officials because of the distance that most of these workers are from rationing offices or post offices, and other unions are hoping that they will be permitted to distribute any coupons which might be issued as they contend that they are fully informed of the particular needs of the workers and their clothing requirements. An alterative scheme submitted by the Engineers' and Motor Mechanics' Union is for workers to obtain clothing coupon free on production of an order from their employers. Even, before the introduction of rationingj^many workers' organisations !had been concerned about the clothing position, particularly where the provision of uniforms has been stipulated in awards. The .secretary of the N.Z. Tramway Employees' Union, Mr. P. A. Hansen, said: in a recent interview that many tramway authorities were over a year behind in the replacement of uniforms and that they made the plea of shortage of materials. It was pointed out, however, that there appeared to have been ho difficulty'inproviding women conductors with the necessary uniforms. ~