MAN-POWER CONTROL

Evening Star, Issue 25565, 18 August 1945, Page 9

MAN-POWER CONTROL

SWEEPING RELAXATIONS JHHHMED FURTHER EASINGS PROMISED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 17. The intention of the Government to make further substantial relaxations of the man-power controls over a wide field was announced this evening by the Minister of Industrial Man Power, Hon. A. McLagan. These relaxations include the exemption from liability for future direction of all married women irrespective of age, of all other women of 30 years of age and over, and of all men of 45 years of age and over. In addition, employers are being freed of the necessity to obtain consent for the engagement of labour within the exempted classes, provided they i notify all such engagements to the man-power officer within seven days. Most of the declarations of essentiality are to be removed by the end of the year and those covering some large groups before the end of September. All married women will, on application, receive automatic consent to leave essential industries if they desire to take up home. " With the end of the war against Japan," said Mr McLagan, " the Government has given immediate consideration to the maximum extent to which the man-power controls can at once be further relaxed. There are, of course, some" industries and services which have a particularly vital part to play in giving effect to the rehabiliT tation programme and the production of food for export and which will have to rely, though to a steadily decreasing extent, upon assistance from the manpower control and direction jneasures. These will include such' industries as hydro-electric development, freezing works and dairy factories, sawmilling and housing, coal mining, hospitals and mental hospitals, certain public utility services, woollen mills, and possibly a few others. It is unlikely that we can .remove the control from these industries this year. Removal even in these cases will, however, be made as early as possible, and the position will be kept under constant review, and further relaxations will be effected as demobilisation proceeds. " With the exception of the industries which I have already .indicated, it is the Government's intention to have all other declarations of essentiality revoked by the end of the current year. In a number of cases revocation cannot be effected immediately, but over the next few months very large numbers of men and women will be returning to industry from service in the armed forces, and their return will sufficiently ease the manpower position to enable these revocations-to be effected. INDUSTRIES TO BE FREED. "There are, however, a number of industries in which consideration of a number of matters (such as the effect of the ending of .^war-contracts,, the current man-power position in the industry and the numbers of men and women likely to be returning to it from the armed forces) has convinced the Government that the declarations can be revoked by the end of September, if not sooner. . " Among these industries, I would particularly mention the foli lowing:—Engineering (except ship repair and the manufacture of housing requirements), motor garages, the Public Service (except the Second Division of the railways), the mental hospitals, the Rehabilitation Department, the Housing Department, and possibly one or two other departments), the Reserve Bank, retail butchers, boot and shoe repairing, pastrycook establishments, radio servicing, refrigeration engineering concerns, shipping companies' shore staffs (except ship repair and maintenance), timber treatment concerns, university offices, and perambulator manufacture. "It has now been decided," added the Minister, " that in the case of persons' .in the following exempted classes the employers will not be required to make application for consent to engage, provided they notify the man-power officer within seven days of the engagement:— "1. Young persons under 18 years of age and widows of servicemen. At present automatic consent to the engagement of these is given. In future this consent need not be obtained, provided that the engagement is notified. "2. Women who are 30 years of age or over. "3. Married women. " 4. Returned servicemen of the present war. "5. Men who are 45 years of age or over. " In the case of women aged 18 to 29 inclusive, and men aged 18 to 44 inclusive, application for consent to engage must still be made; unless they come within any of the exempted groups," the ' Minister said. " I would stress that in respect of the exempted classes notification of engagement is still required of the employer." NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE.

Mr McLagan said that directions would be _• restricted to the highest priority industries, aiid other industries would be expected to reply upon voluntary sources for obtaining staff. All the facilities of the National Service Department, including its servicemen's placement division, would be available to employers seeking labour. It was proposed to set up a national employment service as soon as possible to replace the present activities of the National Service Department. Persons at present working in the number of vitally important industries which would continue to be covered by declarations of essentiality could not be given any wide exemption at the present time. Mr McLagan said. Certain persons were already receiving automatic consent to leave employment in essential industries (young persons under 18 years, wives and widows of servicemen, married women over 40 years of age if taking up home duties, and returned servicemen of the present war). The onlv further relaxation possible in this direction at present, apart from the progressive revocation of declarations, was the extension of this consent to all married women, irrespective of age. if they desired to take tip home duties. In all other cases of applications to terminate 'essential employment, applications would be dealt with on their individual merits as in the past.