T.U.C. SUPPORTS LABOUR CONTROL IN BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 September 1947, Page 8

T.U.C. SUPPORTS LABOUR CONTROL IN BRITAIN

LONDON, Sept. 2.

The Trades Union Congress gave its support to the Government’s proposal for a limited measure of direction of. labour -when it . adopted uts executive’s special report -on. the crisis—but only . after.-a Tong and acrimonious debate. Though the delegates were anxious to avoid embarrassing the Cabinet —only a few votes were cast against the proposals —it was obvious that they had serious misgivings about- what were variously described as vague, hesitant, or indecisive Government pI3HS» ; .. asked many questions. Finally the secretary of the T.U.C. General Council promised the union leaders that he would seek answers for them When they met the Cabinet next week. • ... Use of “Persuasion The Government intended to use persuasion rather than direction to obtain the man-power for essential industries, said the Minister of Labour (Mr George Isaacs), when addressing the Congress. “I intend to use the power of direction only to ensure that the new con-trol-of-engagement order will be effective, and not as an instrument in itself,” he said. “This power will be administered sympathetically and reasonably. Full regard will be given to a worker’s experience and personal circumstances. We shall aim at keeping people in their own clis- .. Mr Isaacs added that it the workers failed to. co-operate he would not hesitate to use his power of direction. He asked the conference to use its influence to persuade elderly workers to. continue working,- to smooth i the way for the employment of Polish and other European, workers, to secure agreement for working -x--hours, and do persuade workers to take more important jobs even it they were not so attractive. Minimum of Hardship The Minister said he intended to adiust employment with the minimum of hardship in the shortest ]?ossible time, so as to ensure that vita , under-manned industries received ~ 'ess essential industries do not retain more man-power than is necessary, and that workers are not ind^ed i 5 higher wages to leave essential work. We must remove restrictive P There was still much to be toe in increasing man-power m the.export industries, particularly text le. and clothing. The numbers employed in manufacture for export were in creasing, with more than 500,000, or 53 per cent, more workers m the export industries at the end o 1947. . '