BRITAIN’S LABOUR SUPPLY

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 July 1945, Page 5

BRITAIN’S LABOUR SUPPLY

ALARMING SHORTAGE.-

(X.Z.r.A. Special Correspondent) (Rec. 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, July 18.. There is growing concern m Britain to-day at the. acute shortage ol manpower for civilian industries, anu it is forecast that the coming six months will probably_be the most difficult period for industry since the outbreak of war. Estimates ot the supply of manpower have admittedly not worked out as expected. It is stated that the textile industry is 376,000 short of workers required lor the maximum output. The clothing industry has only 60 per cent, of the labour required, while the building industry has less than half- the number of workers necessary to meet the normal programme. Transport services, mines and farms are also very short of labour. Another warning has been given by the Trades Union Congress that if demobilisation from the Services is not speeded up serious consequences will arise. It was expected that 750,000 would be released from the Services by the end of the year, but it is since stated that fewer than 500,000 will be released, owing to Service requirements. At the same time there are complaints that many men and women in the Services are now idle and have to be found routine work to keep them occupied. This applies particularly to women. Little more than 700,000 workers from all sources will be available for civilian industry by the end of the year, instead of over 1,000,000 as expected, while over 1,000,000 workers oast the age of 60 will retire from war work this year. At the same time more men between the ages of 18 and 28 will be taken into the Services between now and the end of the year than were recruited during the past six months. It is considered there will have to be a big overhaul of the demobilisation machinery, and that it may be foreshadowed in the King’s speech at the opening of the new Parliament on August 8. While there is general agreement that Britain must send the largest forces she. can to fight against the Japanese, and that this will be done, it is also imperative that unless the manpower position is reviewed, the revised plans for a revival of Britain’s peace-time industries will suffer, and her effort to regain international trade will be severely restricted. As reported previously British manufacturers have no lack of orders from all over the world.