NATIONALISING INDUSTRIES

Chronicle (Levin), 7 June 1947, Page 7

NATIONALISING INDUSTRIES

woRkers ask for say in management WELLINGTON, June 6. . The nationalisation of aU essential industries with repr,esentation for workers on eommittees of management) will be proposod to the Government by the New Zealand Pederation oi Labour. The federation, at its annual conf erence today, adopted a ' report on nationalisation and production which stated: • ; ' ' Some members of . the committee were ' adamriant regarding the workers having a say in the control of industry and claimed they could not be interest "ed in inereased production without a. say in management. Others placed more emphasis on planning and production. ' ' It was pointed out that one factor jlikely to restrict a wofker 's enthusias'm Ifor inereased production was fear oi unemployment if not iq the immediate future, then later when production starts to catch up with the demand. Your committee believes that if work- : ers had a say in planning .and the con trol of their respe.cti.ve industries, they could see to it that the goods required by the people would be 'mannfacttired

m preference to luxury imes wnica show manufacturers a higher ma.rgin oi profit. This could easily be done if such a committee had a say in the allo ! cation of raw material. fIn view of the Government 's op position or at least hesitancy in giving workers a say in the control of industrj in which they are employed, we would point out that the committee set np to increase production in the timber in dustry is working satisf aetorily and with good results. This committee is representative of emplpyers, the work ers' nnion and State department con cerned in the -timber industry. ThrougJi this committee they haive succeeded in achieving the following results: (1) Iniproved wages and' working conditions, (2) houses for 'the workers employed in the industry, {3) importation of machinery and tools necessary to keep the industry runjiing at top speed. (4) they have this year put up an alltinie New Zealand record for cut tim ber. ! • "This is the answer to the proposition contained in Qne remit to the conf erence that. the State should talce over all low-produclng and non producing timber lands and pnt theiu into immediate production to expedite honsing construction,. but it should b.emphasised that the above results have been achieved with the industry' stili 1500 men short of re4uirements. They" are getting an additional 150 workers from overseas. -•

The State department and r^5 presentatives on that committee have a vote the same as the: workers' and employers' representahives. Your coni mittee qnestions the desirability of this procedure. We reco.mmend that such committees should be 'comptised of an equal mimber of reprcsentat'i ves • of bofch employer and 'worker with an independent .chairman, and .that . Qpvernment departments should be reprpsented in an advisory eapaeity. only without a vote. We reconimend 'thdt such com . mittees should bb on^^Dutional basis xn, 'th* mai'n centres."':' This report was presentedv by the secretary of the federation, Mr. K MijL. Baxter, on beh'alf of the con vener of tlie comnlittee, • Mr. F.- G • Young. • -