MARRIED WOMEN STILL FILL AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN INDUSTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, 28 January 1948, Page 7

MARRIED WOMEN STILL FILL AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN INDUSTRY

Wellington, Jan. 26. Married women are still filling a very necessary role in industry, although the war has been over tor more than two years. This was disclosed in a survey of factories and manufacturing concerns in the Hutt Valley. The percentage on the staff of each factory varies according to the type of work, the situation of the factory and transport facilities. Many married women work on a part-time basis, but there are one or two firms which do not encourage this. While one manufacturing concern included in the survey reported that the mainstay of its smalt female staff was married women, another in the same area reported that there was only one married woman on its quite large staff. On another staff 75 per cent, were married and of these 45 per cent, worked part time. In the same industry another factory has about 48 per cent, married women and half of these work part-time. Only one out of 76 women and girls employed by this factory did not report for work or notify the forewoman when work began after the holidays. This example was not followed, however, by the men of the factory. LABOUR SHORTAGE. A shortage of female labour is a problem which continues to face most manufacturing concerns and factories in the rapidly expanding industrial area of the Hutt Valley. Managers of factories approached yesterday reported that production was being maintained in spite of this difficulty, .although in the case of two soap factories it was necessary to work overtime during the week and on Saturday mornings. In some industries, such as footwear and clothing, bottlenecks occurred in departments which were not fully staffed to balance with other departments. Clean, interesting work naturally appeals to women and girls. It is not surprising, therefore, that a plastic factory has not experienced any shortage of girls and has had to turn away many inquiries on account of the late arrival of machinery. Motor companies employing women on their factory staff report that they have instituted a waiting list. The clothing trade is one which appears to suffer much from a shortage of skilled workers. This industry does not seem to appeal to girls leaving school, as scarcely any have offered themselves for training this year. Some factories are employing semiskilled labour, mainly workers trained at the factory during the last year. Factors which are considered to contribute to the shortage of female labour, throughout New Zealand as well as in the Hutt Valley, include the higher school leaving age and the low birthrate of the 1930’5. Accommodation, however, is one of the most farreaching causes. Some factories are following the labour. For instance, many have opened branches at Otaki, Levin and Upper Hutt. It is possible that in the future the position will become more acute as the demand for female labour increases.