N.Z.'S DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS THREATENED

Chronicle (Levin), 1 April 1947, Page 6

N.Z.'S DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS THREATENED

'TIME FOR SURRENDER IS OVER" NAT10NAL PARTY'S PLANS FOR INDUSTEUAL PEACE

WELLIN GTONy- Marcli 31. : .> "The tjnie for surrendering to the menacing- tactics of powerful pressure groups and of irresponsible law bfeakers iii the industrial field is over,"* said Mr. S. U. Holland, Leader oi the, Opposition", in the course of a*statement to the Press made last evening at the : conclusion of a tw'o days' caucus of the Parliamentary Opposition. "There is a -limit to the coneessions that should be made, to those who have the industrial power and the determination to inllict injury upon the eommunity in pursuit of their aims and sectional interests. That limit has been passed. in New Zealand, and tlie events of the past fcw. months have opened the eyes of. the people in general to the danger that threatens their democratic institutions and the welfare of every man and woman in the eommunity. "If the law is replaeed by lawlessness, .as has too oiten been the case recently in this Dominion, there can be no justice. "With- • out justice there is anarchy, and where there is anarchy there can be heither social justice, social security lior peace.

"The Government, to whom the peb-r ple have a right to look to take a stand, j appears to he quite iiicapable of deal-, ing with the situation. As one demandi after anotlier is surrendered to, an-i other alniost immediately takes its place, aiid more and more uiiions are resorting to the use of intimidation, tkreats, go-slow and strikes in their determination to secure their own demands. "It was," said Mr. Ilolland, "an indisputable fact, that the people were slowly, but surely, realising that misuse of union powers and privileges could lead easily and swiftly to tyranny. and despotism. They looked, as they had a right to look, to .the Government they had so recently returned to office to take appropriate action, only to lind to their amazeineut that the Goveniment -itself had on numerous occasions surrendered completely and witliout shanie to a powerful pressure group which ackuowledges no duty whatsoever to the people as a whole. "The members of the Parliamentary Opposition, in their deep concern about the present industrial situation in New Zealand, had felt it to be tlieir plain public duty to examine the situation, whieh continues to deteriorate wcek by week, to scarch for and weigh carefullv sucli evidenee as miglrt be available, and to present to the public a xair and considered pronounceinent of its conclusions upon this all importanl subject, and to oiler constructive suggestions desigued to iniprove existihg couditions. "The Opposition makes no pretenee at having found reinedies for each and every phase of a problem for whicli many countrics are struggling to fiud solutions," continued Mr. Holland, "but it does hold very strongiy to the view that the situation here in New Zealand can be greatly improved, provided proper steps are taken and an end is made to ti v weakness which i-n-variably characterises the handling by the Government of industrial troubles today. i'inclings of Investigation Committee. "Witli this end in view, I set up a committee from aniongst my colleagues aud 1 called to my assistance a nuniber of iiien who, from their qualifications and exporience, were in my opinion well litted to assist in- the task I had in mind. In our iuvestigations, we addressed ourselves to a consideration of the tliree following questions: — 1. What is the real nature of the problem in the field of industrial relations? 2. What has brought the present situation about? 3. What steps should be taken to improve things for the future? "An exliaustive examination of events over the past few months had led the National Party's committee to conclusions which from their gravity must awaken the public to the dangers that threaten them. "The complete and undisputed surrender of the Government in the recent waterside hold up dealt a crushing blow to constitutional procedure in the handling of industrial trouhle. It was proved beyond all argument that the elected Government was no longer the real Government in the economic or industrial field. "The success attained by the lcadcrsof the vvatersiders demonstrated, as nothitig else could demoustrate, that other uuious could reasotiably expect equal gaius provided they took similar direct. action. The immcdiate result was a fresh batch of orgauised troubles and the applicatiou of direct action which threatened to cripple trade and hold up supplies so urgently required by the people.

The Causes of the Existing Deterioration. ' ' Before reinedies cau be applied, the causes of, industrial troubles must first be discovered, and the committee spent considerable time in investigating the causes of the present situation. "Never before have the general conditions of employhient been better. There are more paid holidays tlian ever, and wages are at record levels. Yet we have more industrial trouble than at any previous period. "Harmony and goodwill are vital to industrial peace. "Discord and trouble make the jobs of the big agitator more secure. "The idea of the Communist agitator is to overthrow what he calls the capitalist or private ownership system so as to replace it with the Commuuist system. Their technique is simple and clear. Th'ey want trouble for trouble 's sake. They don't want grievances settled. That is why they start another set of grievances as soon as one lot has been disposed of. "Take the case of the watersiders. They used to be under the Court of Arbitration. Troubles were .organised; tlxe Court was chiarged with being opposed to the workers; and so waterside work was removed f-rom the jurisdiction of the Court of Arbitration and a special tribunal, elothed with full f statutory authority, was established l^ith-^the general secretary of the ^HH£siders, own union as chairman at ^^^^A^year, whilo retnining his former

"One would have expected such a tribunal to have given every satifaction, at least to the watersiders. But what happened? More troubles were organised. Mr. James Roberts was re lieved of his office aud still another tribunal was set up, this time with a Supreme Court judge as chairman and he had associated with him representatives of the etnployers and the ein ployees. "This new tribunal only lasted a matter of weeks. More trouble was organised by the Conimuuists and the very first deeisioh of any iihportance by the new judge was defied. So once more the Tribunal was abolished and the judge 's resi'gnation was in the hands of the Government. ' ' These extremists are so strong in New Zealand that they can even get the courts of law removed if they dis- j agree with the judgments of such tribunals. Now the waterfront is being administered by the Government itself throo.gh a civil servant who acts as Commissioner. " We are only fooling ourselves if we tliiuk waterside troubles are at au end. Industrial Crime Pays. "Why, it may quite properly be asked, do the union leaders resort to" strikes instead of using the machinery. provided uuder our industrial conciliation and arbitration legislation ? Why do we have trouules anyhow? The answcr is simple. and clear. By using strikes, intimidation, and oflier forms of direct action, petter rcsults have been achieved Vju'nder those inethods than by using lawful inethods. "In "other u'oi'ds, it has been proved that in the industrial %'jl'd crime does iu fact pay. Wbrse than that, the uiilitant union leadcfs have been able to prove that ' their threats of direct action coupled- •'with their power to use it have seldoni ffaildd to force a weaU Government to^Stfi'render to their demands. Nothidgusucceetls like. sue.cessv with the resulto'J-ithat a fresh crop of troubles with direfct' action threats are upon us, causing'.gra-ve inconvenience and loss to tlic. people* . "iu oue indufttry at least, a state of alfairs haii been reachedj in which meq are empIOyed ■ to. ,do a • job, ' and they dctually receive^pay for not working. Let me cite one or two exampjes. • Mcn are enipioyed to^load or unload aii'overseas sliip and a^e ernployed to work a norma! eight-ho.ur day in return for eight hours of pay. "In this ind'ustry the men work in groups or gangs, but they have established for thpmselves with the iuii knowledge of the Government, a practice under which only half the gang works at any one time, but the whole gang draws phy for the full time. Half the men work while the othei half sit and watch. At the end of the day, all receive eight hours pay foi four hours work. "If that is right for one section of workers, it is right for all workers, including farmers. If it is right for men then it. is right for women too. Could any practiee be thore immoral, more dis honest than that? If a worker could take a job at 3s 5d per hour and re ceive eight hourly payments of 3s 5d for doing only four. hours of work, what is to be said of this conception of moral duty ? "All that is bad enough, but worse is to follow. Tliis immoral and dishonest practiee was brought to the notice oi Mr. Justice OngTcy who, iu inaking his last judgmeut, laid it down that this praetice must c'easc subject to ccrtain qualifications with which anyone could agree. For his pains, the judge was rcMcved of his position, and the tri bunal over which he presided was abol ished. The Government replaeed his jr Igment with au order which infercn tially permits the continuance of tlu practiee refeffed to, and the public has to pay.

"Other practices in the same mdustry are equally disturbing. Men inay be engaged to work a ship, but when their particular duties are iinished the men refused to transfer to urgent work elsewhere except under penal clauses which in elfeet establish paymcnt for idleness and iu many cases double payment for services rendered. Up Wages; Down Output. CNothing distuihed our committee more than the evidenee that in so many cases, ,.'the upward trend in wages has been accompanied by a downward trend in output. What -a paradox! "The Wangauella case is too recent a liappening of the unfair and extravagant payments wrested by direct action to require recapitulation here. Principles and Policy. "In dealing with industrial "troubles that may arise, we must be guided bj the following principles and policy: "1. It is essential that there shal1 be patienee, toleration, mutual understanding and goodwill. "2. There ruust be scrupulous fairness, absolute justice, and fair play. "3. There should be a special and permanent organisation to continuously and constructively work on the basis that prevention is better than cure for the promotion of industrial harmony, improved working couditions and tq negotiate the settleiuent of disputes

before they develop into _ major troubles; to proniote the establishment of schemes of co-partnership, incentive pay, increased efiieiency, and profit- . sliaring in various forms; to help in promoting schemes to ensnre to the wage-earner a fair share of the proceeds from increaspd -production. , ' ' To proniote industrial expansion by assuring to thol3e investing eapital ahd manageme'nt iii iudustry a fair share from industrial production in relation . to eapital invested, financial risks in- . volved, skill and knowledge in manage- ' ment and organisation of industry. ,"i. Greatly,, improved faeilities for the quick and efficient hearing of industrial disputes and the removal of any justifieation for co;nplaint on the grounds of delay which is a big factor in troubles today. "5. Provision for representation of the consumers on industrial tribunals , so-as to ensure that the interests of those. who in the final analysis Have to meet increased costs are adequately protected. Handling of Strikes. • "6. In the event of trouble break- ; ing out there must be an immediate in--vestigation of the actual facts by a competent and independent tribunal, and this must be followed by an announcement, wherever found advisable, to the public of the exact nature of the dispute and the claims of the parties to it.

' ' 7. After hearing the parties to the dispute an announcement should be made to the public as to whethcr, in all the circunistances, the strike is or is not auti-social ' and injurious to the welfare of the people. - "If and when the proper authority decides that a strike is anti-social, then from that moment it ceases to be an internal dispute as betweeu employee and employer; from then on it is an issue as betvveen those who for their own ends would defy the eommunity on the one hand, and the State as the organised conuuunity on the other. At that poiiit it would become the clear and imperative duty of the State to mobilise all the resources at its disposal in defence of law and order and for the due protection and security of the well-being of the people as a whole. ' ' 8. Any union held to be guilty of participating in an anti-social strike shall automatically lose the benefits of preference to unionists, compulsory unionism and guaranteed minimum- wages duriug the period of the strike. "9. Provision must be made for applying adequate and cffective penalties to uiiions that defy the law and individuals who incite otliers to viol--euce and other unlawful acts. "10. Adequate provision must be made for the liolding of properly supervised secret ballots on all strike issues. "11. Special consideration must be given with a -view to the decasualisation of industry and cmployment gene'rally to the greatest possible extent, so as to give a proper meaning to our guarantee of full employment. "If, then, we are to deal cffectively and satisfactorily, and .for the public good, with the industrial situation in this eountry, there are two principles which we must unswe'rviHgly Vecd^fii'se, and unhesitatingly apply, and we" give to the public our assurance that the National Party subscribes to them both. ' "Firstly: • • It must be:made crystal clfeaf ,that breaxing the law and defying the Government will not pay and will not be^ tolerated. 'iSecondly: ' ■ The Government of the day must not surrender to the threats, intimidation, and malpractices of any- kind of pressure group. It must have the backbone and the courage to take the stand that under no circumstances, come what may, will it surrender to threats, violence, intimidation or strikes, or any other kind of antisocial conduct whatsoever.

"Once the militant union leadcrs are convinced that breaking the law does not pay, and that defiance of the Government will not. obtain the Government 's eapitulation, the value of a strike will disappear. Once the workers are convinced that there will be no delay in the examination of their grievances, once they are satisfied that "they will obtain absolute justice and fair play from submitting their problems to eonciliation and arbitration; once the workers realise that puinping money into circulation, without the production of a corresponding volume of goods, is unadulterated inflation — the workers' greatest enemv which wrecks a^stable price level so vital to the tnaintenance of living standards, and which in point of fact reduces living standards by redueing the purchasiug power of money — and once they fcei Convinced that they will receive a fair share from increased industrial protection, the workers themselves will take a hand and restrain their lcaders from taking the course that has led to the present unhappy situation. To summarise:

"The present industrial situation is entirely unsatisfactory and is getting worse. Direct action and intimidation are replacing conciliaton and arbitra- , tion. At the present time striking jiays. Under the intimidation of the strike ;weapon the Government invariably surrenders. Industrial efficieney is falling seriously. Greatly improved provision should be made to promote harmony and prevent troubles growing. Profit-sharing schemes and the like should be encouraged. Delays in hearing disputes . should be eliminated. "It is high time tkat our people realised that the restrictive practices that are" being applied in two or three of the most powerful unions have one inevitable and most harmful effect; they add to the cost of production of the goods and services affected by tliehi and they lead in the end to those very shortages of which the public rightly complain so bitterly. - It is these powerful and militant unions. that call the tune to which the present Government i's ever too ready to dance; but it is the public that mnst pay the price of the shortages and poorer services that result. "The National Party feels confident that under these circumstances the Government of the day — of whatever political shade — would be able to rely upon sufficient public support to ensurO , that .the forces of law and order would i grevail;" coneluded. Mr. Holland0