Skilled Men for War Work
Next week more than a million craftsmen, mostly engaged in engineering trades, are required to register for war-v70 under an Order issued by the Minister of Labour last Friday. The intention is to secure the names of large numbers of skilled men who will be available for transference to Government we- The Order applies to all men over 21 years of age in eertin occupations where there is a shortage of skilled labour. It is hoped that the transfer of men on the register to fill the vacancies may be carried out on a voluntary basis. Mr. Bevin has explained the measures that are being taken to create more skilled men both in the factories and in the training centres ; but in the mean time it is clear that the fullest use must be made of the skilled labour that already exists. The work that has to be done in the factories is just as'Important as the work done by men in the fighting services. Men can only be exempted from the latter if they are prepared to do their part in the essential industries. There has been a great speed- ing up of production in every sphere of munitions-making, but we are still very far from the maximum that could be obtained with the fullest use of man-power. There is no conscription of labour here such as exists in Germany, but our system has to be made compatible with the allotment of the right men to the right jobs. Employers must submit to Government control, and men available for work must seek it where they can be most useful.
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