UNEMPLOYMENT

Otago Witness, Issue 3509, 14 June 1921, Page 17

UNEMPLOYMENT

INSURANCE FUNDS VANISHING. LONDON, June 3. In the House of Commons I)r Macnamura (Alinister of Labour), under the 10-minute rule, introduced a Bill to vary the rate.;, contributions, and benefit* under the Unemployment Insurance Act. lie said that the percentage of unemployment was now 23. involving a payment of £2.000,000 weekly, with an income of onlv £350,000. There was only £8,500.009 in the account, though there was £22,500,000 in March, so that it was necessary to reduce the weekly benefit to men to 15s, and women to 12s. Six weeks’ benefit will be added to the 16 allowed under the Alarch Act, otherwise many would ho without assistance in July, August, September, and October. The Treasury was willing to advance to the fund £16,000,000, which would he repaid when circumstances were normal. It would therefore be necessary to increase the borrowing powers from £10,000,000 to £20,000,000. The contributions to the fund must, be increased after July 4. the men paying 7d weekly, tire State 4JJ, and the employers 3d. Leave to introduce the Bill was granted by 221 votes to 62. A FRENCH EXPERIMENT. LONDON, June 7. The Paris correspondent of the Aforning Post states that 150 unemployed British ex-service workers arc being employed experimentally in the devastated a:ca. It is hoped that the remit will justify tho employment of thousands in the near future. There is r. • unemployment problem in France. The slow recovery of tim devastated area is prim Ip.iliy due to the shortage of labour, which deficiency is partly covered by the employment of Slovak, Spanish, and Italian unskilled men. As the British workmen will be paid tho French trade union rates no difficulty with the trade unions is anticipated.