On This Day, 23 February 1918

Birmingham Daily Post

Saturday 23 February 1918

EMPLOYMENT OF DISCHARGED MEN.

COMPLAINTS AGAINST BIRMINGHAM FIRMS.

The subject of the employment of discharged men will be discussed at a meeting of the Birmingham Citizens’ Committee be held on Monday. The sub-committee responsible for this branch of work have received several complaints, both individually and through the National Federation of Discharged and Demobilised Sailors and Soldiers, with regard to the treatment of discharged men certain firms in the city. Enquiries have been made into each case, and it appears that some ground for the complaint that discharged soldiers are being thrown out of employment, and female labour substituted for purposes of dilution. The committee recommend, in order to safeguard the interests of disabled men, that the following resolution be forwarded to the Ministry of Munitions:- “That the Ministry of Munitions asked to give preference to claims of discharged disabled men for employment, and to undertake that for purposes of dilution the places of such men shall not be replaced by women.”

The committee having come to the conclusion that the maintenance allowance of 27s. 6d. payable to discharged disabled men undergoing treatment or training is inadequate where such men have dependants, a resolution urging the Government to substantially increase the amount will be proposed.

The subject of the acceptance of unfit men for military service will also be considered, and the committee suggest that a resolution should be forwarded the War Office and the Ministry of Pensions expressing the view that greater care should be taken to avoid accepting for military service men who are evidently unfit, and that men belonging to this category who have been accepted and then discharged should reinstated substantially in the same position occupied by them prior to being called for service.