The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-05-14
Labor News From Britdin

LOndOn.-New sources of labor are
being drawn upon for the British war
trades. Britain is long way yet from
the bottom of the man-pOwer bin, but
the demands of the munitions indus
tries are so insiStent and Unsuitable
that the Minister of Labor has to look
round for hitherto unused resources.
He has found one, in the vast reserve
of married women whose domestic re-
SpOnSibilitieS do not permit them to go
into fulltime Industrial employment
but who are willing and eager to give
part-time service The size of this re-
serve is surprisingly large.
The Over.Thirty Age Group
1t has been found that the proportion
of married women with household du-
ties among those who registered in the
over 30 age-groups gives an accurate
measure of this new reservoir of labor.
For instance it was found that ont of
the 2SOOOO regiStrants in the 1909
class, 22O,0OO were married women.
time paid employment. In the 1907
class. out of 29O,OOO regiStrantS. 232, ,OOO
were married and only $1,000 were in
full-time employment outside their
homes
1t is obvious that in normal times
married women consider housekeeping
is Il full-time job. But in these abnor-
NAL times not only are there many
married women without children who
are ready to take full-time industrial
employment there are likewise a great
many who will do part7time work, pro
vided it does not take them far from
their homes. The Ministry of Labor
has now worked out Il scheme for the
mobilization of these potential part
time women workers.
WOmen's Panels Assess Suitability
With the active cooperation of EN-
players and trade unions the Local
Employment Committees are now ar
ranging for the recruitment of the
children who are not already doing
full-time war work.
Women's Panels are being set up to
interview the Over-3O registrantS, for
the purpose of assessing their Suita-
bility for war jobs.
There is to be no cOmpulSiOn. The
WOmen'S Panels will determine wheth-
er the women they interview can really
be regarded as available for employ
ment outside their homes, and mean
while the Ministry, with the help of
the Local Employment Committees
will be stimulating employers to pro
mote part-time work schemes in their
areas.
Development of such schemes de-
pendS very much upon the cooperation
of employers and trade unions. The II
L. G. General Council has approved
the AInistry's proposals and has called
upon it's Trades Councils throughout
the country to assist in promoting
ures of recruitment.
The only trade union stipulation is
that the part-time women workers
shall he paid the hourly rate, piece ol
time, fixed for the full-time workers
The help of the unions i'm stimulating
recruitment is recognized by the Min
istry to be all-important.
Success i'm some part-time schemes
has been secured by enlisting the 60
operation of the factory personnel ant
the good will of the employer In this
way, wives and female relatives have
been given the opportunity to work il
The plant for II few hours each day.
Employers have been encouraged I,
develop the part-time system by beins
allowed to make direct engagement.
of this part-time labor, without having
to go through the procedure of engag
ing workers through the Employmen
Exchanges. This relaxation of reStric
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