REDUCTION OF STAFFS

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 14

REDUCTION OF STAFFS

SLACK BOOT INDUSTRY SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCES STATE ASSISTANCE REQUIRED The dismissal of boot manufacturing operatives referred to in a Press Association message from Auckland in last night’s ‘ Star ’ has its counterpart in, Dunedin, and from inquiries made this morning it was discovered that serious difficulties are being experienced in tha industry. These have arisen principally, from the stern competition from overseas and the increased cost of production, So severely have some of tha city firms been affected that they have been faced with the necessity of making drastic reductions in their staffs or considerably shortening -’ the working hours of the employees. In one local factory it has been found peoessarv to discharge no fewer than. 46 employees ■ since September ;?, as a result of the present difficulties under which the whole of the industry is labouring. The remainder of the hands in the factory concerned have, lost a total of 4,000 hours of. work.sincethat date. This meant that. 24 members of the staff in rotation have lost A weeks work, resulting in the staff being reduced by the equivalent of 70 hands in the last two months. ; It was considered by one local manufacturer that assistance from the Government, which was being negotiated for, would not be in the form ,of tariff protection. On account of the heavy, importations from overseas and the resultant poorer demand for New Zealand goods produced at high cost, this manufacturer had been tpmpelled ! td discharge two 'employees .this week; while another employer; had'been able'to retain all his employees only at the oost of working •shorter hours, r- 'lt ;wa« asserted that this” position would continue until something was done by tha Government to assist the .industry pat of its difficulties. • ’ ' . - .