DUTY IGNORED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23860, 10 January 1941, Page 9

DUTY IGNORED

FACTORY WORKERS MANY STILL ABSENT POSITION IN WELLINGTON WAR WORK HAMPERED [BV TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday Factories in Wellington have been seriously embarrassed because large numbers of their staffs have failed to return to work after the holidays. The majority reopened on Monday and mauv were compelled to slow down production because only a small percentage of the staff were at work that day. In one ease nearly 90 per cent we're absent without leave or explanation. Inquiries reveal that the practice was general-throughout the industrial strata of tlic city, and in some factories production on materials for important Defence Department contracts has been seriously embarrassed. The head of a factory engaged on work for military purposes declared that up to last evening his concern lost mere than a thousand hours as a result of workers' failure to return. This factory has been engaged on war production ever since the outbreak, and for the year ending September 30 more than £10(10 had been paid in overtime and over £IOO in tea money. Before Christmas the factory was working day and niizlit to get the work through. The Defence Department was urgentlv i needing, it. a tact well known 10 the staff. On .Monday in one department alone only 20 of a .staff of Ho arrived. 75 Per Cent Away The clothing trade appeared to have suffered as heavily as any. At one factory it was reported this morning that only 30 appeared for work on Monday and Go on Tuesday out of 120 hapds. Another factory on Monday had only ,20 per cent of the staff. In another factory employing between 300 and 400 hands only 40 reported on Monday, and other factories, .suffered nearly as badly. The attitude of the workers in not coming on the prescribed day is keenly resented by the proprietors, who point out that production is based on teamwork and close organisation. If a vital member, of the team is missing the whole organisation is thrown out. Appeal by Mr. Sullivan The tendency of workers to absent themselves without notice or leave has been going on for some time. At this time last year it was manifest to such an extent that the notice of the Government was attracted, and before this Christmas the Minister of Supply, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, made two special broadcasts appealing to workers to fulfil their obligations and return to work at the prescribed time. In some factories the machines closed at 11.50 a.m. so that the staffs could hear the Minister, but many walked out on the whistle and did not wait for the end of the speech, which continued after noon. BRITISH EXAMPLE EMPLOYERS' ATTITUDE ACTION BY FEDERATION QUESTION OF DISCIPLINE [liV TELE-GHAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Thursday The loss of production in manufacturing industries throughout New Zealand. particularly those engaged on military/work, was emphasised by Mr. I). 1. Mac Donald. secretary of the New Zealand Manufacturers' Federation, today. Manufacturers throughout tin Dominion, he said, had been serioush inconvenienced, and bad suffered much loss of production through the failure of employees in many instances to return to work after the holidays '•'ln spite of considerably improved holidays and privileges which have been granted the workers, especially females and youths, by the Court of Arbitration and by employers voluntarily in recent years, there has been a marked tendency for absence for trivial reasons to increase, particularly after holiday periods," said Mr. Mac Donald. ''This Christmas, with the war news obviously serious from New Zealand's point of view, it was felt that the workers would realise their responsibilities to return to work promptlv and thus assist production to their utmost. This responsibility has been repeatedly' emphasised by those Cabinet Ministers most closely associated with industry and by the employers themselves. "The example o| the workers of Great Britain in sacrificing practically fill their holidays, in spite of the hardships they are undergoing, and in spit? of the long, strenuous hours which they have been working, could surely have been followed by our more fortunate workers in New Zealand," Mr. MacDonald added. "The most serious aspect of the question is that the loss in production hours is greatest, in a number of factories which are directly encaged.on military work. "The Manufacturers' Federation has asked its affiliated associations to collect definite information from 'members relating to this lost time, with a viev to placing the whole position before the Government, along with suggested remedial or disciplinary measures. It is surely time that everyone in the Dominion realised that, il New Zealand is to play a full part in the present conflict, there must be no waste time or waste effort. Hard work and maximum production must be the keynote for 1941." POSITION AT DUNEDIN TRIVIAL ' NUMBER A BSENT [BY TELEGRAPH —TRESS ASSOCIATION'] DCTXEDIN, Thursday Dunedin factory workers have not shown any signs of dereliction of duty as attributed to employees in Christchurch, The clothing firm of Ross and Clendining, Limited, reports that only four or five of their 830 hands failed to turn up after the holidays, while Sargood, Sou and Kwen, Limited, report no absentees at all. AUCKLAND'S EXPERIENCE GOOD MUSTER OF WORKERS Tinder the .system started several years ago of a long vacation, many Auckland clothing factories will not reopen after the Christmas and New lear holidays ufitil Monday. Others started operations again on Wednesday. Jhe general experience of those that ha\o reopened does not coincide with that firm, in Christchurch where onethird of the female staff was absent w hen the factory reopened. One large Auckland factory had a full muster of girls, and at several others there "was only a very small number of girls who had extended their holidays without the formality of first obtaining leave absence.