APPRENTICE SCHEME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23405, 22 July 1939, Page 18

APPRENTICE SCHEME

PROPOSALS BY EMPLOYERS LABOUR COUNCIL OPPOSITION Proposals by tlie New Zealand Employers' Federation to establish a scheme for trainee apprentices were condemned by tho Auckland council of tho Federation of Labour at a meeting on Thursday night. The employers' suggestions were considered to be impracticable, and the scheme was stated to contain no redeeming feature. It was decided to adhere to the draft of proposed amendments to tho Apprentices Act, as made by the Federation of Labour. The employers' scheme was analysed in a report by tho workers' representatives on apprenticeship committees, which stated that the proposals would make the term of a. trainee apprentice becoming a competent journeyman unlimited. It was pointed out that it would be possible for a trainee to work only three months in a year, and that period only would count in the apprenticeship term. A term of three to six years' apprenticeship was advocated by the employers, the report added, and, if that period were interrupted as suggested, it might be six and even 12 or more years before a trainee became a journevman. If introduced, the scheme would react to the detriment of indentured apprentices. The plan to pay trainee apprentices 15 per cent more than indentured apprentices did not offer proportionate compensation for possible loss of time to trainees through slackness of work. _ The report instanced the possible case of a trainee working for six months at 15s a week, and being out of emplovment for the rest of the j'ear. In the" first six months of the succeeding year he would bo required to continue at 15s a week, tho report stated.