FEARS DEPRECATED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21850, 22 October 1945, Page 4

FEARS DEPRECATED

LABOUR POOL SURPLUS

VIEWS OF CONTROLLER

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 20. Fears that the release of men from the armed forces and the release of workers from munition factories would result in the creation of a large surplus in the male labour pool was deprecated by Mr H L Bockclt, controller ol man-power, interviewed to-day.

He said that there should not be any difficulties in placing the men. The return of male vacancies notified to the district man-power officers at September 15 showed a total of 6103 positions offering, of which 3851 were for experienced workers, 1850 for unskilled. ana 396 tor youths under 12. These figures were exclusive of many thousands of positions which became vacant and were not referred to the man-power authorities, but were filled through normal civil channels. By far the largest number of discharged soldiers wert .isturning to their pre-service employment. Many men who had been released from munitions had been absorbed by the same firms on other work on the cessation of war contracts.

It must be anticipated, too, that before many months were past some of the larger industries which had been largely non-operative during the war would provide employment tor many workers. Mr. Bockett said that the vacancies offering tor female workers on September 15 totalled 4737, of which 1270 were tor experienced workers, 2854 for inexperienced and 513 for juniors. The main demand for female workers was for hospitals, restaurants, woollen mills, the clothing trade, and footwear factories. It was anticipated that all gmls whose emDloyment had terminated as a result of the cessation of munitions and other war contracts could be immediately absorbed in essential industry without delay. In fact, for some time it appeared as if there would be a serious shortage of female labour, particulaily in hospitals and manufacturing industries.