RAND’S LABOUR TROUBLES

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 February 1938, Page 4

RAND’S LABOUR TROUBLES

SHORTAGE OF WORKERS. •JOHANNESBURG. December 31. The gold-mining industry on the Rand is confronted with the difficulty of getting enough native labour —for the demands of (lie mines continue to increase.

The mines are at present crushing at the rate of nearly 1.000,000 tons t week, and to keep the mills going ai this rate more than 300,000 native “boys” are required. If the present rate of progress is maintained the re quirement this time next year will be about 350,000. The economic ratio of white to native labour is as 2 to 17. Any shortage in native labour means 'a curtailment of white labour, which is a perturbing prospect to the (European) Mine Workers’ Union. In addition the country in general is concerned, for any serious curtailment of operations might have world consequences. If the necessary number of boys cannot be obtained, there may be a serious check to the industry. Where are these boys to come from? There are about 50.000 unemployed natives on the Rand to-day, but most of them want commercial or domestic work, especially those who are natives of the Union. The Rhodesias would be glad, no doubt, to off-load on the Union their natives of the domestic service type, but naturally they

want to keep their own mine workers. A few months ago the Union Government permitted the employment of 10,000 boys from north of latitude 22 South —the arbitrary line that has been fixed in this question of labour-recruit-ing. Before there can be any great increase in the supply of labour from the north there will have to be negotiations with various Colonial Governments. Any fluctuation and uncertainty in the supply will have the worst possible effect. To upset the 2 to 17 ratio must mean either the laying off of white ( mine workers or an increase in the cost per ton milled. This, among oth-

er things, would put a stop to lowgrade development and seriously affect. ’ mineowners and shareholders —let alone its serious effect on the economic structure of the Union itself.