ESSENTIAL WORK

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1943, Page 4

ESSENTIAL WORK

MAN-POWER DIRECTIONS

By : the end, of March. 1943, 25,013 directions had been given to men and 5766 to women to undertake essential work, according to the annual report of Mr. H. L.' Bockett, Controller of Man-power, which was presented to Parliament last week. He said that! 3261 of the directions were later withdrawn on a fuller examination of .the circumstances and that practically all the remaining directions had been complied with. Only 1079 appeals against direction had been lodged, this being rather less than 3| per cent, of tlie' total. Many of the directions, particularly in the case of constructional and seasonal* workers, had been of temporary application only, so that.it could not be said that the labour force in essential work had been augmented by any figure deduced from the number of directions given. On the other hand there had been a very considerable voluntary drift of workers, particularly women workers, into essential work in advance of direction, and even in advance of registration. , PROBLEM OF ABSENTEEISM. Mr. Bockett's report also disclosed that up to the end of March last there had been 7564 complaints of absenteeism lotfged with man-power officers. In 1427 cases the charges were found not to be well founded, 5109 warnings were issued, and 424 fines had been imposed. The remaining cases were still .under action. Women workers accounted for 2736 of the . complaints.