FURNITURE TRADE

Evening Star, Issue 25069, 10 January 1944, Page 2

FURNITURE TRADE

NON-COMPLIANCE WITH STANDARDS DIVERSION OF MAN POWER THREATENED A recommendation from the Dominion Man Power Utilisation Council for the Furniture Trades to the effect that concerns failing to comply with the standards laid down for the industry should: lose personnel by compulsory diversion to other concerns, has been accepted by the Minister of Industrial Man Power, Mr McLagan. He said that one-man operators would similarly be diverted to employment elsewhere if they failed to comply. •" The Utilisation Council for the Furniture Trades has brought to my notice that, though standard specifications have' been adopted for the industry, a number of concerns are failing to comply with these standards," said Mr. McLagan. " While the establishment and maintenance of standards is not a matter under my jurisdiction, the compliance with such, standards where they have been established is a matter with a close bearing on man power. Standards are designed to ; secure the use of man power as well as' materials to the best advantoge. If man power is not being used to the best advantage then it is the function of my department to take whatever steps are possible to secure its use to better advantage. The Dominion Utilisation" Council has indicated that in the furniture industry man power is still being used for the manufacture of items which are outside the specified standards for the industry and which represent a waste of man power under wartime circumstances. The council has recommended that personnel of concerns not complying with the standards laid down for the industry, including employers and solo-operators as well as employees, should be compulsorily diverted to concerns which are complying with the standards. Man power officers are being advised to act accordingly."