Provision of employment in South Wales for persons suspended from the mining industry on account of silicosis and pneumoconiosis.

Date:
1945
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Provision of employment in South Wales for persons suspended from the mining industry on account of silicosis and pneumoconiosis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    WHAT IS SUITABLE WORK? 5. Persons affected by the diseases under consideration fall into two cate- gories:— (a) The vast majority who are capable of work in any light industry which does not involve working in dust or fumes and does not require heavy hifting. It is important, however, in these cases that long-distance travelling to work should be avoided. The evidence was unanimous that much travelling involves greater strain upon these workers than the actual working operations. Employment therefore should be made available within daily travelling distance not exceeding eight miles of the main centres of residence of such persons. ¢o) A limited number of special cases who require “‘ sheltered ’’ employ- ment under special conditions. 6. The Working Party are satisfied after careful enquiry that those in the first category can be employed by ordinary light industry under normal indus- trial conditions. They reject the suggestion that employment should be provided for them in special or subsidised State enterprises. They consider it to be of the utmost importance to avoid the sense of inferiority and dependence which would be inseparable from the segregation of this class of workers from their fellows. Nor is there anything in the nature of their disability to warrant such a course. 7. Those scheduled in the second category are the concern of the Disabled Persons Employment Corporation Ltd. The Corporation is planning a wide range of useful occupations, the output from which would be disposed of through ordinary commercial channels. The establishment of small centres to employ about 50 persons each is under active consideration for the follow- ing places:—Tonypandy, Treorchy, Merthyr, Ystalyfera, Bargoed, Tonyrefail and Bndgend. 8. The Working Party are satisfied after careful investigation that the pro- posals set out below, together with the plans of this Corporation, will not leave any material ‘‘ gap’’ in the provision of employment to cover all classes of silicotic and pneumoconiotic persons. THE NEED FOR NEW EMPLOYMENT g. There is substantial agreement among all consulted that the provision of work for disabled persons is more urgent than in the case of able-bodied men and justifies a measure of priority. Conversely there is abundant evidence of marked physical and mental improvement among partly disabled persons when found any suitable kind of work. THE NEED FOR NEW INDUSTRIES 10. The finding of new employment for pneumoconiotics would not present great difficulty, if full employment could be ensured in the areas concerned. They would automatically be absorbed. It is only in places where there is going to be some difficulty in getting full employment that special measures become necessary. Some of the areas most seriously affected by Silicosis and Pneumoconiosis are of this kind. They have no other industries to offer em- ployment, and are among the places for which it is most difficult to obtain new industries, notwithstanding the Distribution of Industry Act. Industrialists are reluctant to locate new enterprises in the Western part of the South Wales coalfield, owing to its remoteness from markets and the additional transport costs which would be involved. They prefer the Eastern portion of South Wales, in which ‘‘ Development Area ’’ facilities are equally available ana : 46820 r A 2 MMMM 2250199339 I poe