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We now come to the industrial mobilisation, the
regrouping of the workers for total war. The supply of manpower to the
war industries is as important as the supply of men to the Forces, and
represents far more intricate problem. Without increased production, on
a vast scale, we could not hope to win a campaign, and without an
enormous diversion of manpower we could not hope for such production.
The supply of labour has been fed through four new channels.
First, the unemployed have been set to work. Here
the figures tell the story. At the outbreak of war we had 1,232,000
unemployed, whereas at the end of 1943 we had only 72,000 and they were
principally those who were changing their jobs or were unfit for regular
work. Second, we have ruthlessly cut down activity in the “less
essential” industries such as textiles, hosiery, gloves, boots and
shoes, carpets, leather good, pottery, glass, cutlery, jewellery, toys,
etc. This has released large number of workers for war industries.
Third, we have economized in our use of labour by increasing the hours
of work and reducing holidays. The hours are now shorter than they were
during the feverish period following Dunkirk, but in assessing the
labour force required by firms and undertaking the hours they are
working are considered, the general line taken being that the staff
employed can be reduced if the hours are less than 52 hours per week for
adult workers, exclusive of meal breaks, and 46 per week for office
staffs, with two weeks’ holiday in the year, with, of course, fire
watching and Home Guards duties in addition. Fourth, we have mobilised
the non-industrial section of the population, including housewives,
large numbers of whom have now been taken into full or part-time
employment in the war industries. Thus regrouped, organised according to
a plan, the nation went to work.
 The
main problems of this supply of labour to the war industries can be
divided into three classes. First, the use of labour, particularly
highly skilled and heavy male labour and mobile female labour; second,
the training of workers to increase the supply of skilled and
semiskilled labour; third, the proper control and distribution of the
available skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labour.
The utmost economy in the use of highly skilled
meat better organization in the factories, and the Ministry therefore
made use of a large staff of Labour Supply Inspectors with technical
experience, who advised employers in the munitions industries. Similarly
Inspectors were appointed for shipbuilding, coalmining and building.
Other officials have engaged in combing out unskilled workers and
examining the way in which they are being used.
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