SERVICE APPEALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24629, 10 June 1941, Page 6

SERVICE APPEALS

GOVERNMENT WORKSHOPS POLICY UNDER FIRE ' UNION SECRETARY'S VIEWS : OVA.) CHRISTCHURCH. June 9. Criticism of the failure of the'Government workshops to employ men r trained under the 4 auxiliary - scheme, ’while the same workshops asked for sine die - postponements of appeals through the Director of National Service (Mr J. S. Hunter) on behalf of workshops employees, was expressed by Mr G. *T. Thurston, a ; . member of the Christchurch Man-power Committee, at a sitting of the committee to-day. Mr Thurston, who is the secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering and Allied Trades Industrial Union of Workers, said the committee should be consistent in its decisions, and, if it gave special privileges to the Government workshops as employers, then it should give the same privileges to private employers engaged in similar industries. Mr Thurston’s statement was made when three appeals by the Director of National Service on behalf of workshops apprentices in the Railways Department came up for hearing. Decision was reserved. A letter from the director suggested that the appeals should be adjourned sine die, and stated that the men would be required to enrol under the Emergency Precautions Scheme. The men were: Alexander Robert* Owen, an apprentice boilermaker; Morgan Roy Davies an apprentice fitter, and turner: and Alfred Read, an.apprentice fitter. \ Captain G. H. Anderson, representing the military authorities, asked' why these men should be lost to the army. Why should they not do their Territorial service? .

Treatment of Private Firms i ■“ It appears that the Government workshops need only to apply to. - the committee and an adjournment is granted,” Mr Thurston said. There is ,a: shortage of skilled workers nn New Zealand,'yet the Government workshops S oh any of the.auxiliary workers. The original was that they would take them all. the workshops to be a sort of depot for which these’workers would be drawn on. The ordinary employer is asked to Place these auxiliary workers, but the Government departments are refusmg to take any, I cannot see that the GovSnment itself is responsible; it must be the departmental heads. “If we have any policy, it must be common to all.” Mr Thurston added. “If we grant these adjournments at the request of the Director-of National Service, we must grant every other employer in a similar industry tne . same privilege. These men are just as necessary in private industry as m Government workshops. How is a private firm going to put on an extra shift unless extra workers are trained. . , Adjournments Expected ■ “ Why does the department not assist ,us? ” Mr Thurston asked.. “We know that in Wellington, where a considerable number of these auxiliary workers have .been trained, the Government workshops have taken none. Ordinary industry -has to struggle on as best it can, . yet .Government departments expect an adjournment sine die every refusal of the workshops to take any of the auxiliary workers. Mr Thurston continued, meant that private enterprise had to. absorb them and assist the', Government to overcome a difficulty. 'not dnly by bedting cost of training .these auxiliary Workers but by contending with-the disruption- of the<Qrdinary>workshoP.sta{l_and.'"Pa' r -'; was; Jidt igoihg to reflect .very: ,great; credit on' the 'departmental heads: / «■ Dismissal Advocated "tiuggesf ■all ; applicationstional Service anti of railways.” Mr . The-chairman.: Mr ;J, S. Barnctt. We have’ had/the maneger lon workshops 'here before: rWeycould get him here again. Mr Thurston: The general manager is the man. / The workshops manager is amember,®tthe.committee for training auxiliary workers. , The chairman: If we. adjourn the cases until we can get , the general manager down here we will wait a long time. . ... . “In that case we should dismiss the anneals, as we would do with anv other* where the employer was not present,” Mr Thurston said. We should not differentiate in our decisions. In fadt. the. leniency should be the other way.”