LABOUR MOBILISED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 64, Issue 4523, 14 January 1942, Page 5

LABOUR MOBILISED

EMERGENCY STEPS WIDE POWERS TAKEN ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, in a statement issued at Wellington last night, referred to important amendments to the National Service Emergency Regulations, 1940, which have been brought down to, meet the industrial situation created by the present emergency. It is stated that the object of the amendments is to ensure the best use of the Dominion’s industrial manpower in a situation calling for heavy withdrawals of men for defence. It is proposed to bring the new measures into operation immediately, particularly as regards declaring certain industries to ba essential. Mr Fraser added that the amendments now brought down fall into two main parts, covering respectively the conservation of labour in essential industries and mobilising additional labour resources for essential production. DISTRICT MANPOWER OFFICES The amended regulations give the Minister of National Service power to declare any industry or undertaking to be essential. Such declaration immediately places the industry and the employers and workers connected therewith under the control of the Minister, which will be exercised through district manpower officers, whose prior consent will be necessary before employment can be terminated. This; applies both to workers and employers, both of whom must give at least seven days’ notice of their desire. to terminate employment. However, this consent is not required for dismissal in a case of serious misconduct. Workers in an essential undertaking are, subject to these conditions, to be kept in full-time employment and are required to carry out, subject to certain conditions, any work in the undertaking of which they are capable during any periods when work in. their occupation is not availably., ESSENTIAL INDUSTRIES The schedule sets out the classification of essential industries. So far as !Te Awamutu is concerned the essential-'industries are butter and cheese factories, and the timber industry. Employees of private hospitals are also covered by the order. ENSURING EFFICIENCY In essential undertakings it is an offence against the regulations for any person to be absent from work without reasonable excuse or to be habitually or persistently late or fail to perform work with due diligence and skill. In order "to ensure that the future labour requirements of an essential industry can be met and the entire available manpower and woman power of the country can be used to the best advantage, an amendment enables the Minister to require any ecified class or classes of persons to register for employment. Men who have been called up for military service, but who by reason of medical grading or postponement are not for the time being serving with the armed forces are deemed to be already registered. TRANSFER OF WORKERS

A person who has registered may be directed by a district manpower officer to undertake any employment or training for employment. All persons registered are required to notify the officer immediately of any change of occupation, employment or address. An extension of the provisions of the Occupational Re-establishment Emergency Regulations, 1940, and of the Suspension of Apprenticeship Emergency Regulations, 1939, provides that a person transferred from one employment to another under the direction of a district manpower officer must, subject to the prescribed conditions, be subsequently reinstated in his former employment, Where a person is aggrieved by any decision of a district manpower officer there is provision for reference of the matter to special committees appointed for the purpose of giving further consideration to ■ such cases. The committee’s decisions will be final. EMERGENCY RESERVE CORPS Two further provisions of considerable importance are contained in amendments.; The Minister of National Service is given power to control the inflow of labour into industries by requiring employers specified to secure the consent of the district; manpower officer before engaging any worker. The Minister is also given power to require any person or class of persons to apply for enrolment in the Emergency . . Reserve Corps and if the application is accepted to serve in the Emergency Precautions Service or any; specified branch of the corps.