DEFINITION ISSUE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 252, 5 August 1937, Page 5

DEFINITION ISSUE.

THE WORD "INDUSTRY.” ‘ LEGISLATION INTENDED. (Per Press Association.) : '• WELLINGTON, August 4. ' The Acting-Minister of Labour (the Hon. Pi C. W r ebb) says that the attention of the Government has been drawn to the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in regard to the meaning of the word “industry,” as defined by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act of 1925. Under the Court’s decision this is held to mean an industry in which both the employer and his workers are engaged. For over 30 years the Court of Arbitration has adopted the view that “Industry” may refer either to business in which the employer and his workers are engaged, or to the occupation of workers irrespective of the nature of their employers’ business. It will be seen therefore, that the decision of the Court of Appeal will have very far-reaching effects, and the Government has there-, fore had to consider what legislative action, if any, it proposes, to take to meet the position. A similar question arose in the Commonwealth of Australia in .1911, the same interpretation being placed on the word “industry” in the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act as has been done by the Court of Appeal here. As a result the Commonwealth Legislature passed an amendment to the Act to make is clear that the term “industry” could fefer also to occupations for workers irrespective of the class of business carried on by the employers, and this legislation was made applicable to all organisations affect- , ed by the decision as if the amended definition of “industry” had been in { force at the date of registration of such organisations. Apart altogether from the question which is the more durable form of organisation it is clear that a considerable amount of confusion will result from the decision of the Court of Appeal, not only 60 far as clerical unions are concerned, but also among long-established unions in other callings, and the Government feels that the proper coui’se to adopt is to introduce legislation on the same lines as, was done in the Commonwealth of Australia.