Ex-Servicemen’s Rights To Choose Own Jobs

Northern Advocate, 24 August 1945, Page 4

Ex-Servicemen’s Rights To Choose Own Jobs

•(Special.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Minister for Industrial Manpower (Hon. A. McLagan) said yesterday that some doubt had arisen regarding the position of returned servicemen and others under the new manpower exemptions. The Minister said that as far as returned servicemen were concerned the position was that no further manpower directions would be issued, and with one exception those returned men at present under direction would now be free to engage in whatever employment they chose. The only exception would be in the case of members of the special industry drafts who were released from further overseas service to engage in certain high-priority industries. The largest group concerned would be those who were serving with the 3rd Division in the Pacific and who were brought back as volunteers to engage in essential employment. As a large number of these men were engaged in work of high priority, in particular sawmilling, farming and food production, Mr McLagan continued, it might be necessary in a number of cases to defer the release of these men until such time as general demobilisation proceeded to a stage where the position would be eased sufficiently to grant them their release. Wherever release could be granted immediately this would be done, and in other cases men would be released just as soon as replacements became available ancl they w'ould then be free from any further manpower control. Other Exempt Classes.

The other classes now exempt from further manpower direction, said the Minister,, were as follows: —Married women of any age, women of 30 years of age and over, men of 45 years of age and over, persons under 18 years of age, widows of servicemen. The two latter classes were fully exempt from direction and were also free to leave essential employment should they choose to do so, the manpower officer’s approval being granted automatically upon application. “The position in regard to the first three groups, is that while they are now exempt from further manpower, direction they do not, except in the case of married women desiring to take up home duties, qualify for automatic consent to terminate their employment in essential undertakings,” concluded the Minister. “Applications for such persons to leave essential employment will continue to be dealt with on their individual merits, but releases will be granted whenever practicable. “This position will apply, however, only for so long as the undertaking in which they are employed is covered by a declaration of essentiality, and as a number of such declarations are due to be removed in the near future the number of persons who will be free to leave their employment will progressively increase.”