SITUATION GRIM

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 63, 12 September 1945, Page 8

SITUATION GRIM

RELEASES FROM INDUSTRY

CLOTHING TRADE HIT

A situation worse than that at any stage of the war period is confronting some employers as a result of the recent relaxing: of the man-power regulations and the returning of servicemen from overseas. Branches of the clothing industry are feeling the pinch, since that industry claims a large proportion of female employees, many of them married women who have been awaiting the return of their husbands from war service.

A recent experience ol one firm was to lose four of its best machinists, whose replacement presented no easy [ problem, let alone the job of filling the places of others who had left The staff of one firm was down by a third, another had been reduced by 25 per cent. and. to indicate the varying experience, the reduction in other cases was round about 12£ per cent. Those happenings are, of course, affecting the production needed by the public .and the extent to which employers in industry are seeking labour to fill the gaps is indicated—though by no means to the full—in the advertising columns of the newspapers. The search is not only *being prosecuted, locally; appeals are being made outside Wellington for girls to come to industry's aid in Wellington. While it is disturbing to see those who have been doing their job in industry through the war years now going off, the employers fully appreciate the position of most of thc> who have gone or are going, those who have a returning serviceman husband or other family obligations. There is nothing much that can be done about it. The only thing the employers can say is (as one put it): "God bless you, my child; go by all means."

The immediate effect of withdrawals from industry is not the only cause of concern. As a matter of fact, the clothing industry views the whole situation as a very grim, one for the next seven years.

A reason for that is the decline in the birth-rate during past years, and another reason is the raising of the school age. The extra year at school, it is stated, is tending towards more young people going tq "white collar" jobs. Girls, in fact, are said to be encouraged in certain guidance quarters to go to Government Departments or to offices. However, the manufacturers do find the Vocational Guidance Association a co-operative body, and regard its advice as worthy of better results from industry's point of view.

Where the clothing trade is right up against it in studying both the present and future needs of the industry is in the lack of apprentices. As a reason for the "grim view" there is the statement that the clothing trade wants about 1000 apprentices; it has secured ten. .