More Info →Women's Land Service Rules

WOMEN’S LAND SERVICE.

RULES
25/9/42.

1. NOMENCLATURE.

The organisation shall be known as “The Women’s Land Service”
and be part of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary.

2. CONTROL AND WELFARE.

The Auxiliary will be responsible for control and welfare of
members of the Service. This responsibility will include –

(a) Explanation to candidates for membership of the rules; conditions
of employment; desirability of mutual consideration between all
parties in respect of work in order to ensure maximum desired
production.

(b) Enrolment and interview of prospective members.

(c) Collection of uniform and other clothing or equipment as necessary
upon cessation of service.

(d) Adjudication (in collaboration with District Production Council) on
such matters as suitability of prospective employers, accommodation,
farm locality, class of work, complaints regarding conduct of
employer or employee, refusal to accept work which is deemed suitable.

3. DOMINION POOL.

A waiting list of applicants for membership and of farmers
desiring to employ a member of the Service will be maintained by National
Service Department.

4. ELIGIBILITY AND AGE LIMIT.

All women considered suitable shall be eligible for membership
subject to a minimum age of 18 years as at the date of enrolment. Girls
under 21 years of age must obtain their parents’ consent before joining
the Service.

5. UNIFORM, ETC.

Equipment supplied –

Upon Placement
After one month’s satis-
factory working service.
All “dress” equipment
after one month.
Service Uniform
“ Hat (working)
(dress)
Overalls, working
Gumboots (if procurable)
Leggings (working)
Boots (working)
Shoes (dress)
Stocking – uniform
Socks, woollen (working)
Shirts (working)
“ (dress)
Tie – uniform
Gloves – do.
Raincoat (oilskin)
Topcoat (dress)
Jerkin (leather)

2 (1 sou-wester)

3
1 pr.
1 pr.
2 pr.

3 pr.
3

1

1
1

2

1 pr.
2 pr.

2
1
1 pr.

1

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N.B. (1) All articles will remain the property of the Government
and must be returned to the National Service Department
upon cessation of service with the Land Service or upon
demand.

(2) Replacement of articles will be free except that in lieu
thereof an allowance of 4s. per week may be paid by
Government.

6. ELIGIBILITY TO RECEIVE UNIFORMS.

Dress Equipment.

1. All bona fide members of the Women’s Land Corps working on full-
   time farm work may receive dress equipment on re-enrolling in the
   Women’s Land Service.

2. All new recruits for the Women’s Land Service who are considered
   eligible for membership and who are placed on full-time farm work will
   receive dress uniform after one month’s satisfactory service.

Working Equipment.

1. All members of the present Land Corps who have volunteered for
   farm work under the Land Corps Scheme will be eligible to receive the
   additional working clothing equipment on making fresh application for
   transfer to the Women’s Land Service.

2. All members of the Women’s Land Service who are considered
   eligible for membership and who are placed on farm work by the National
   Service Department will be eligible also to receive full working cloth-
   ing equipment.

Note: Women who are normally engaged on farm work, although not
members of the Land Corps, may make application for member-
ship to the Women’s Land Service and if membership approved
they will be eligible to receive a free issue of dress
equipment only.

7. PLACEMENT.

Generally, placement will be subject to the presence on a farm
of at least one man physically fit and available to undertake the heavier
duties considered by the Auxiliary and Primary Production Council as
unsuitable for performance by members. This general condition may be
waived where the Auxiliary, after consultation with the representative
of the Production Council, is satisfied that the nature of the duties is
suitable for performance by the member and that the member is fully
apprised of the circumstances. The member is permitted full freedom
to accept or reject such special position and shall not be penalised for
refusal.

8. ACCOMMODATION, ETC.

Where upon any farm only one member is employed, she shall be
accommodated within the homestead and shall not be required to share a
room with any member of the employer’s family. Where, however, two or more
members are employed on the same farm, accommodation may be in detached
quarters suitably fitted up for occupation of two or more members.

In such cases, meals shall be supplied by the employer and in
the homestead, except that any universal custom of taking a meal away
from the homestead (e.g. “cut lunch”) may be followed.

Full laundry and bathing, etc., facilities shall be made avail-
able to members. Where the demand, locality, etc., is suitable a camp
(under the charge of a senior girl or a matron) may be established by
National Service Department, members proceeding daily therefrom to the
employer’s farm. Members will be required to provide (from the board
and lodging allowance) their own food, bedding, fuel, etc., and to do
their own cooking.

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9. INSURANCE.

Insurance of each member employed shall be arranged by the
employer and at his cost – the Workers’ Compensation Act shall apply as
in the case of males.

10. REMUNERATION.

The wages payable shall be as under: Dairy Farms General Farms.
First six months of farming
work after enrolment; £2. 1. 0. £1. 16. 0.
Thereafter £2. 8. 6. £2. 3. 6.

Board and lodging shall be provided by the employer free of
cost. As an alternative he shall himself pay keep of £1 per week.

11. TRAINING PERIOD AND SUBSIDY.

In respect of members deemed by the Auxiliary and District
Man-power Officer to be inexperienced and who are placed under this
plan, the National Service Department will pay to the employer a train-
ing subsidy of 20s. per week for a total maximum period of three months
and for a further period of three months a subsidy of 12s.6d. per week
subject to the employer undertaking to teach the member all classes of
available farm work suited to female performance. The employer will,
in the first place, pay the prescribed wages and should make application
for subsidy in four-weekly period claims.

As a general rule, a farmer shall not receive a subsidy in
respect of a replacement member, but consideration will be given to
such applications (for whole or part period) where a subsidised member
leaves for reasons not within the control of the employer and where
an employer accepts a member who is inexperienced at the time and has
served only part of the six months’ training period.

Training subsidy will not be paid in respect of any member
employed upon a farm owned or operated by a near relative or upon which
she has at any time been normally resident other than as a bona fide
paid employee within the homestead.

12. TRANSPORT.

Transport to farms shall be at the cost of the employer up to
30 miles from the District man-power Office nearest the member’s normal
residence or from such residence (whichever be the lesser). Where the
distance involved exceeds 30 miles the cost of fares will be met by the
National Service Department.

13. DUTIES.

It is not practicable to specify a full schedule of suitable
work, and it is expected that employer and member will, in each case,
co-operate in the matter of deciding the suitability for female labour
of any work calling for attention.

Members shall perform any necessary domestic work in connection
with their own quarters, clothing, etc., but shall not be required to
perform any other domestic duties.

Hereunder is an indication (but not a complete schedule) of the
farming duties which members may be called upon to undertake.

Sheep Farms:

Mustering, drafting, and droving; [general] tending of stock;
tractor and team driving for cultivation and feeding-out; milking
house cows and washing utensils; gardening; tree-planting; hay-making
(excluding certain heavier stacking operations); painting.

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Dairy Farms:

Collection and dispersal of stock, milking, and washing of utensils,
etc., feeding calves and pigs (where suitable facilities for distribution
of food exist without involving heavy work) feeding-out; tractor and
team driving; harvesting (excluding heavier stacking, etc., operations)
tree-planting; gardening; painting and miscellaneous light work.

14. TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT.

Farmers and members of the Service must give at least seven days’
notice of intention to terminate employment.

15. HOLIDAYS. (Under Agricultural Workers’ Act 1936)

16. Dairy Farms:

(a) If employed not less than four weeks continuously employee to be
allowed a holiday of not less than seven days in the aggregate
for every 12 weeks of employment and a holiday for a proportionate
part of a week for every broken period of employment.

(b) The holiday shall be allowed at such time or times as the
employer thinks fit but so that not less than 28 days in the
aggregate shall be allowed during each year of employment, and
in the event of termination of employment all holidays to which
employee entitled shall be paid forthwith.

(c) If a worker is allowed a half holiday from noon for the remainder
of the day on one day in each week of employment she is to be
granted an additional holiday of not less than 14 days during
each year of employment and a holiday of a proportionate part of
a fortnight for every part of a year of employment. A worker
may agree to accept leave between milkings on any day during the
week in lieu of being allowed half holiday.

2. Other Farms and Stations (Agricultural Workers’ Extension Order
   1942).
   Every worker shall be allowed by employer for each 12 months’
   service a total of 18 days’ holidays to be given at the convenience of
   the employer provided that if the period of employment is not less than
   12 months but more than 3 months the worker is entitled during or on the
   termination of employment to a proportion of the annual holidays accord-
   ing to length of service performed.