CONTRACT LABOUR SCHEME

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 November 1940, Page 2

CONTRACT LABOUR SCHEME

WORK ON WEST COAST FARMS After visitng the West Coast, Mr. W. S. Simpson, liaison officer of'the Employment Division of the Labour Department, left last evening for Christchurch. The object of his visit was to organise the use of all suitable unemployed labour, to help farmers on the West Coast, in the terms of Scheme 48., This scheme for subsidising contract labour for improvement work has the approval of Mr. J. Mulcare (President of the West Coast Farmers’ Union), who recommends it to the farmers. In giving an outline of the scheme to a “Star” representative, Mr. Simpson said that the only men to be employed are those registered as unemployed, and they must be engaged through, the Social Security Department. They must work oh a co-opera-tive basis, arid on no account may a farmer arrange for the work with a contractor who will undertake the job and engage the labour required. A contract shall be drawn up for each job, setting out the nature of the work and the contract price. The contract being for labour only, the farmer shall supply all necessary materials for the job. Progress payments shall be made at such intervals and on such basis as is mutually agreed upon by the farmer and the contract party. The classes of work for which subsidies may be granted are: Developmental: First cutting or removal of bush, scrub, or rushes! first stumping and logging; new drains; substantial improvemerit of existing drains; new subdivisional fencing. Maintenance: Reriioval of second growth dr scrub, removal of timber appearing subsequent to -> s , reconstruction ql sub.’ .’ onui .fences. The rate of subsidy to be granted will be as follows: Development work: Up to 75 per cent, of the. labour cost, without the need for the submission of a statement of the farmer’s financial position. Maintenance: Up to 75 per cent, of, labour cost, according to the circumstarices of the applicant as disclosed by a stdteirierit of the farmer’s financial position, the submission, of which will be required in all “maintenance” cases. Application forms and further particulars may be obtained from the Employment Division of the Labour Department, or from the Lands Department.