ABSENTEEISM

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 152, 29 June 1943, Page 3

ABSENTEEISM

INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN

DEALING WITH CULPRITS

"Have instructions been issued to man-power officers not to take any legal action against employees who absent themselves from their employment?" asked Mr. W. J. Broadfoot (National, Waitomo) in an urgent question in the House of Representatives today. Mr. Broadfoot added that employers complained that it was a waste of time reporting absenteeism as no action was taken by man-power officers. Replying on behalf of the Minister of National Service, the Prime Minister (Mr. Eraser) -said that the answer to the question was "No." All district man-power officers had on the other hand been issued with instructions of a directly opposite nature. For instance, on March 8 last they were given the following direction: —"In cases where the offence is proved and where it is clear that the absenteeism does not represent an isolated lapse in reaction to long hours of strain (that is, cases of malingering and cases of deliberate flouting of work obligations) man-power officers should in future take a more severe line of action." Since that instruction was issued the number of fines imposed had shown a sharp increase. Mr. Broadfoot; Well, Mr. Prime Minister, I have got one case of a man who has worked 15£ days in two months. His employer has asked the man-power officer, to dismiss him, but nothing is done. The Prime Minister said that the case was outside the scope of the question. If Mr. Broadfoot would ask if this particular man-power officer had carried out the instructions further action would be taken.

"I think that anybody who hesitates to enforce the instructions," concluded the Prime Minister, "should no longer be a man-power officer."