ACUTE LABOUR SHORT AGE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23258, 20 July 1945, Page 5

ACUTE LABOUR SHORT AGE

Concern In Britain Poor Outlook For industry LONDON. July 18._ There is growing concern in Biitain to-iMy at lhe acute shortage of manpower for civilian induscoming six months -rill probably be the nios' difficult period for industry since the outbreak of war. Estimates of the supply of mat.power, admittedly, have not worked out as expected. I: is stated that the textile industry is 376.000 short of .he workers required for the maximum output of clothing. The industry has only 60 per cent of the labour required, w tile the building idustry has less than half the number of workers neces 'y to meeting the normal programme. Transport services, mines a-fa. ms arc also very short cf labour. Another warning has been given by the Trades Union Congress that, if demobilisation -Tom the services is i . speeded up. serious consequences will arise. It was anticipat'd that 150.000 would be released from the services by the end of the year, but it has since been stated that fewer than 500,000 will be released owing to sen e requirements. At the same time there are complaints that many m»n and women in the services are now idle and will have to be found routine work to keep them occupied. Demobilisation Machinery Little more than 700,000 workers from all sources will be available for civilian industry by the end of the ' ear. instead of o’ 1.u00.000 as anticipated, while ov. 1.C00.000 workers past the age of 60 will retire itom war work this year. A’ the same time, more men between t a°es cf 18 and 28 will be taken into the services between now and 'he end of the year than were recruited during the past six months It is considered that there will have to be a big overhaul of the demobilisation machinery, and that- it may t foreshadowed in the King’s speech at the opening of the new Parliament on August 8. While there is general agreement that Britain must send the largest forces she- can fight against tlv Japanese, and t? t:vs will be done, it is ab impera ?e that unless the manpower is renewed, revised plans for the reviv of Britain’s peace time industries will suffer and her effort to regain interr nal trade will be severely restric As reported previously, British manufacturers have no lack of orders from all over the world.