The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-03-27
LABOR NEWS
FROM BRITAIN
> NEW REGULATIONS
o CONTROL RESOURCES
SAFEGUARD FOR
EMPLOYER AND WORKER

trades are about to issue from the
Ministry of Labor.
One is an Essential Work" Order,
the other is an Order for registering
the civil population and making it
available for industry. They are the
product of exhaustive discussions be
tween the Labor Minister and the rep
resentatives of the two sides of indus
try-the TUG General Council and
the Executive Council Of the British
Employers Confederation.
They embody the Governments new
and far-reaching scheme to provide
the essential war trades with all the
labor they need and to husband the
nations man-power resources.
Although there is an element Of
compulsion in the scheme it is not a
scheme of industrial conscription. The
influence Of the Trade Unions has
preserved the practice Of voluntary
cooperation in applying the principal
that "everything and everybody" must
now be held to the service of the
nation in order to win the war.
The most important Of the two
Orders empowers the Minister to de-
clare the work Of any industrial es-
tablishment to be national work"
Where national work is being done
no employer will be permitted to dis
miss any employe Except for mis-
conduct), and no employe will be al
lowed to leave his job without the
permission of the Ministry's officials.
Industrial Tribunals are to be set up
to safeguard the position of the work
ers.
The wage for national work" is to
be the rate for the job in the dis
trict, as determined by Trade Union
negotiations.
Authority rests with the Ministry
to insist upon proper relations between
the employer and workers in estab-
lishments engaged on national work. y
Where personal management is un-
satisfactory. or where there is no eff
fective machinery for workshop con
sultation, the Minister may require
proper arrangements to be made. He
will also be able to prescribe mini
mum period of notice for termination
Of the employment contract. The
Ministry's officers, in effect, will have
control over the engagement, dismiss
al or transfer of labor for national
work" but not over wages and work
ing hours or other conditions Of en-
ployment settled -kN~<.ollective bar
gaining.
Both the functions of the manage
ment and the freedom of workers il
establishments declared to be OF
national work" will thus be material
ly restricted. But there have beer
prolonged discussions between the
Production Executive of the Wal
Cabinet on the one hand, and the
Representatives Of the Employers Con
federation and the TUG, on the other
to safeguard the position.
Ernest Bevin, in other words, is no
assuming power to dictate to man
agements on these matters. Neither
will his officers be empowered to die
tate regarding the termination Of en-
ployment or transfer Of workers foI
national work"
The Industrial Tribunals, which arr
to be composed of a Representative,
of the employers, and of the work
people, with an Independent chairman
will deal with complaints about the
misuse of these powers, with appeals
against directions to take employment
or against refusaIs of permission t,
leave work, and with allegations o
absenteeism. So far as it is humanl!
possible to do so, the rights Of en-
ployers and workpeople are being
reconciled with the rigors of Stat,
organization of national work"
X X 4
The same care is being exercised
to preserve the practice of voluntar,
cooperation in the mobilization of tht
remaining reserves of man-power.
This is the subject Of the seConC
Order about to issue from the Min
istry. To secure an adequate suppl,
of labor for national work." thi
Order will institute a system of reg
istration by industrial age-groups
covering the entire civil population.
Everybody, regardless of sex or so
cial status, will be required to regis
ter, on the same lines as the regis
tration Of men for military service.
Men who have already been regis
tered for military service will, in gen
eral, not be required to re-register
but some Of them may be required t
furnish additional particulars willis
they await the Gallup Of their age
group.
The main purpose of this industria
registration is to enable the Minister
to meet first and foremost the de
mands of the establishments engaged
on national work"
But it involves also drastic re
vision Of the schedule of reserved
occupations. And it necessitates
moreover, systematic survey or
every less essential trade and indus
try with view to the scaling down
and comb-out Of the labor they en-