Manpower controls

Labour controls were introduced during the Second World War to meet a crisis in manpower and to administrate between the needs of the armed services and industry. Manpower regulations affected the individual liberties and touched the day to day activities of Australians perhaps more than any other executive operations of government throughout this period.

The first significant regulation introduced during the first two years of the war was to reserve occupations from military service. Occupations reserved were those which were essential for the production of equipment and supplies for the war effort. In 1940, the Minister for State of Defence Coordination published a List of reserved occupations (provisional) to ensure maximum manpower for the war effort. The list was devised to prevent the voluntary enlistment of skilled workers from essential services, such as munitions production. The list was not mandatory and it was open to anyone to seek release from their reserved occupations.

In early 1942, however, during the crisis of the Japanese advance in the Pacific, more than 100,000 men were called up for full-time service. The list of reserved occupations was not strong enough to administrate the demands of the services against the demands of industry and a labour crisis began to emerge.

So, in January 1942 a Manpower Directorate was established and took over responsibility for the List of reserved occupations. In March 1942 the list was replaced by a Schedule of reserved occupations and industrial priorities. The Director-General of Manpower was able to exempt any person from service in the armed forces; to declare that industries were “protected” and require that a permit be obtained for any change of employment. From March all labour required by unprotected establishments needed to apply for labour through the National Service offices and all unemployed persons were to register within seven days of becoming unemployed.

From the first of April 1942 all engagement of male labour was controlled and a national registration of both male and female labour was completed. The government had the power to say what every man should do whether in the armed services, war industry or civilian industry. The powers under the Manpower Regulations included:

Power to exempt a person from service or prohibit their enlistment
Prevent employers from engaging labour not authorised by the directorate
Restrict the right of employees to engage in the employment of their choice
Prevent employees from leaving their employment
Restrict the right of the employer to dismiss his employees
Power to direct any person to leave one employment and engage in another
And compel individuals to register and provide information about themselves.

Educational value

Is an example of the type of announcement made by the Manpower Directorate during World War II(1939–45) in Australia – the Manpower Directorate (commonly known as the 'Manpower') was established in January 1942 at the height of the threat of a Japanese invasion, and had extensive powers over what Australians could or could not do, including powers to: exempt a person from military service or stop them enlisting in the armed forces; stop people from working in the job of their choice; prevent people from leaving their job; and direct people to leave one job and work in another.
Shows the Manpower using one of its powers – the power to compel individuals to register and provide information about themselves.
Reveals that a national registration of all men and women, 16 and over, had been completed in March 1942 – once a young man or woman turned 18, the Manpower had authority over their work.
Illustrates that the Manpower was planning for a long War – the first year in which the youths and girls who registered in 1943 would have come under 'Manpower' control was 1947.
Shows that Australians were first forced to apply for an identity card in 1942 – the war years were the last time that Australians had to have an identity card; moves to introduce the Australia Card failed in 1986.
Reveals a time when the individual rights of adults and children were severely restricted in order to mobilise all of Australia's efforts to help win the war.
Refers to the young Australians who needed to register, as 'British subjects' – in 1943 there were no Australian citizens (Australian citizenship was introduced in 1949); Australians were British citizens and subjects of the British monarchy.