N.S.W. UNEMPLOYED

Northern Advocate, 4 August 1932, Page 6

N.S.W. UNEMPLOYED

REFUSE RELIEF WORK. MAY LOSE THE DOLE. SYDNEY, .July .°,O. The Minister for Labour (Mr Duniiingham) said yesterday that a number of the unemployed who were clas sided in the “F” scale had reported that day at various depots and stated that they would not accept relief work. These men also announced that they preferred to remain on the dole.

The matter will be brought up at today’s meeting of the Cabinet, and it is expected that the Ministry will decide that in future men who refuse to accept work will render themselves ineligible for the dole.

Mr Cunningham yesterday said ho had received a report from the officers of his department that nearly 50 per cent, of those receiving food relief in the highest scale failed to attend at the call-up on Saturday morning for employment under the Government’s scheme of relief works. The information as to the -call-up was broadcast on Friday, and was published in the metropolitan newspapers on Saturday morning.

Yesterday morning, he added, a number of the “F” scale men reported at the various depots, and stated that they would not accept this relief work, and preferred to remain receiving food relief. The position is that under the relief work the men on this scale would be paid £3 15/ for 40 hours' work, plus 3d an hour for tiadesmen, and travelling fares in excess of 2/6 per week, and would be gi\ on three weeks' work in every, five weeks, plus family endowment, 30/ per week for men with seven children.

“The Government’s scheme,” said the Minister, “was for the purpose of assisting the unemployed to obtain more than they are receiving by way of food relief, and at the same time to give the men work instead of charity. It. now appears that a big number of those men, unfortunately, do not desire work, but prefer to obtain charitable relief from the Government.

An unemployed man with seven children at present receives 30/ per week family endowment, 28/ food relief, and may receive an allowance from the Chief Secretary’s Departnient to the value of 20/ per week. This makes a total of £3 38/ per week.

“The action of the men in refusing this work is one that "will be considered by the Cabinet, but in the meantime the public should be made aware of those facts in order to judge the position of those men receiving Governmental assistance provided by public taxation.

“As already stated, the whole question will be submitted for review by the Cabinet, and it is now proposed immediately to call up “E” scale men, who will be given employment on those works for which over £1,000,000 has been made available by the Government. ’ ’