HINT TO FREEZING COMPANIES

Evening Star, Issue 23352, 23 August 1939, Page 3

HINT TO FREEZING COMPANIES

RESPONSIBILITY DURING DFF SEASON HELP TO TIDE MEN OVER [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH. August 22. The possibility of action being taken by the Government to compel freezing companies to contribute towards the upkeep of employees in the off season or to pay wages “ sufficient to tide them over ” was mentioned by the Minister of Housing (Mr Armstrong) in an address to unemployed workers in Christchurch to-day. ; “ AA’e must expect to have unemployment in Christchurch in the winter because of seasonal occupations,” the Minister said. “ Some of the newspaper editors and some politicians say that the freezing workers make such money during the season that they should have enough to tide them over. That is an old, old story. That may be the position of some workers in the freezing industry, but I should imagine that the majority earn just enough to keep them going while they are at work making any provision for tiding them over a few months.”

The Government’s policy, Mr Armstrong said, was not to pay sustenance because there should be usefujjl and necessary work for everybody in the country. “ And I think,” he added, “ that the freezing companies should carry some of I the responsibility.” (“ Hear, hear.”) “ They employ some thousands of men, and some of them pay pretty substantial dividends, and 1 don’t think that the State should be called upon every year to tide them over till it suits the companies’ convenience to take the men back again. The companies should be either looked to to take some of the responsibility of providing work or pay sufficient to enable the men to live for the season.” Tbit question would have to be gone into very soon, he concluded.