INDUSTRIAL FRONT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXIV, Issue 29, 3 January 1944, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL FRONT

USE OF MANPOAVER. WELLINGTON, Jan. 3

AYith a view to maintaining; and increasing its industrial contribution to' the war effort, in which is included the meeting of essential civilian requirements, the Governhas been requested by tile New Zealand Manufacturers’ Federation to revise its military commitments. The federation recommends (n) That the necessity for Army and Air Force unit .establishments in tho various parts of the Dominion be fully examined by the Government in too light of present conditions to ensure that only the absolute minimum number of unit establishments is maintained and manned. (b) That within the reduced number of unit establishments which may be justified. an investigation by an authority, independent of Armed Services control, be made into the work of the personnel in such establishments to ensure that such personnel is kept at the lowest level consistent with absolute minimum man and woman-power requirements. (c) That the minimum manpower and woman-power requirements in these unit establishments bo arrived at, allowing for leave and working hour conditions on the same basis as in industry. More extensive leave and shorter working hours for the Armed j Forces personnel gave rise, it was pointed out-, to proportionately and unnecessarily higher minimum requirements of manpower and woman-power.

(d) That further recruitments of man and woman-power into the Armed Forces and withdrawals for periodic military training be limited solely to those sections ot manpower and womanpower wihch aro not concerned with industrial production.

(e) That to achieve the maximum us* of manpower and woman-power concerned with industrial production and in fairness to the thousands of workers already doing their utmost, the Government make provision that overtime shall not bo paid except in genuine cases till a full ordinary week’s work has fir-t been done.

With the same objective in view, there was the further recommendation that the Government take steps to enforce strongly the penal clauses in the regulations in all cases of persistent or flagrant absenteeism.