OVERTIME ISSUE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24825, 23 February 1944, Page 6

OVERTIME ISSUE

CLOTHING FACTORIES

URGENT PRODUCTION NEEDS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday "The compulsory working of a minimum amount of overtime in all clothing factories has been considered by the manpower utilisation council for the industry," said the Controller of Manpower, M.r. H. L. Bockett, to-day. "There have been suggestions from time to time that labour should be taken from other industries to ease the acute position in clothing production. "My department holds the view, however, that while so fiany clothing factories are working no overtime there is no good case,for transferring workers from other industries where they are giving the war effort the benefit of long hours of work. There are, of course, quite a number of employers m the clothing industry who are working overtime and, similarly, there are many workers who are either willingly working overtime now or are anxious for the opportunity to do so. But there are many employers who refuse to work overtime and many workers who, when called for overtime, fail to put in an appearance. "In view of the position which exists and taking into account the most serious need to secure every ounce or production from the industry as at present manned, 1 informed the industry that I felt the burden of overtime should be equitably spread by making it compulsory on those employers not working overtime to-day to operate for a minimum number of overtime hours and similarly by making this overtime work compulsory on those workers who, without good reason, refused to work overtime voluntarily." The matter had been fully discussed bv the manpower utilisation for the clothing industry, which was representative of both employers' and workers' organisations, Mr. Bockett continued. At the request of the council the question of compulsory overtime in the industry has been held over for a short period to enable a voluntary appeal to he made to both employers and workers.