APPRENTICES’ BILL

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 11327, 3 October 1930, Page 5

APPRENTICES’ BILL

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS IN EXISTING PROVISIONS

PROTECTION FOR BOYS IF EMPLOYER GOES BANKRUIT

LARGE SUM OF COMPENSATION NOT FAVORED

(Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 2

Tho Minister of Labor, moving, in tho House of Representatives, lor the committal of the Apprentices Amendment Bill, said it had been considered by tho employers and workers concerned throughout the Dominion and it met substantially the decisions reached at tho apprenticeship conferenco in 1929. ~ . Mr Wright asked whether it could bo taken that all tho parties had agreed to the provisions of the mil. Tho Hon. S. G. Smith: ‘Yes. Mr Wright said ho wished to bung under tho Minister's notice tho ditbculty experienced by parents at tnc present time in getting their boys aprenticed. Ho was not suggesting tho country should turn out more journeymen than it could employ, but. ho* thought all employers should endeavour to engage a reasonable number of lads. Ho suggested that the present-day necessity for employers to fill in so many .books, forms, etc., was to some extent responsible tor reluctance to employ apprentices. It had been advocated that technical and other schools should undertake teaching boys trades, but this, while an ideal, would bo a very expensive one. Mr Holland, Labor Leader, suggested that in tho event of the bankruptcy of an employer liis apprentice should bo entited to a lump sum as compensation on tho ground that(ms contract of apprenticeship had been broken. The Bill provided that in such circumstances the apprentice should ho entitled to three months wages. Mr Holland said he did not consider this went far enough. The bov was not only thrown out of work but his term o‘f apprenticeship was broken as well. , , ~ Mr Fletcher (I.)) advocated the appointment of representatives of technical schools or similar bodies to the Apprenticeship Committeo to hold the lmlanco between employers on the one hand and the employers ou the other. Ho did not think a lump sum iu compensation would meet the situation to which Mr Holland had referred. It would be more important to the bov if arrangements were made that his training should he continued. ( , Mr Lysuar (I.) said the Minister should be very guarded in making allowances to apprentices who might, be abusing their positions. Too much provision was made to protect the apprentice up to the date of the oteMi- AnceU (R.) disagreed with Mr Lysnar aud. claimed that an apprentices had a right to protection and appeal. He agreed with Mr Fletcher regarding carrying on the boys, trade. , ~ Mr Smith, iu reply, said it was with the idea of minimiming difficulties in apprentieng boys that the Act had been brought into operation, and he believed it was ■ operating ivery well. ' ■ Replying to Mr Holland, the Minister said the object of the clause relating to a bankrupt employer was to make at least some improvement on the present position, of apprenticeship. ... Continuing, Mr Smith said power alroady existed for the appointment of a representative of a body such as a technical school board to tho Apprenticeship Committee. The motion to commit the Bill was then adopted.