LEGISLATION AND AWARDS

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 912, 3 September 1910, Page 6

LEGISLATION AND AWARDS

■... ..OVERLAPPINGjUNDESTEiBLE.;;.' ,:' ■'• Speaking ''oil: Tuesday, .to: a .Dominion representative, .Mr. .E. J.'-: ..tary.-of, tho Wellington. Cooks'-.'and 'Wait-; ors TJnipiv claimed -that' the passage:'of a :-proposud amendment. to" thb Shops ' and Offices-Apt w6ul(i,'in- one, respect,', .inijioso: a'hardship' on tlie niehibei'H since 'it i would involve- "suspension*: of tlie. 1 'award' goyoi-tiing. thb" cqiiditJuiis'-.' ; under: .which they .work;. and institute': a state .of : i'red contect ..diifipKr. thq...'re-"" maindtir. of .the period ...for:; which \Hie. 'Rivnrtl' was made, save in .re';;ai'd,,tri.conditions 'specifically.;- laid..', dowii '•'; iii.; ;.the amfindiii;; Ae1....; ■'"•.■' • : '"::.'V '■':. ;■' On being, interviewed on the subject, Mr.; W.Pryor,secretary iof the'-New' Zealand; Employers' Federation, took a totally: different standpoint. His federation" adopts .the view that instead of this worker's* suffering hardship in an ,'instnncc of; thia.-Jiiiid, it \s ■ absolutely -.-unfair- ,'that,-'legislation' aliould. bo introduced overriding, (ho coiu ,d ! .tions of an. award,*: Tlio efficiitihl: point is.ln Hi , .,l'ryor's opinion,.lhat the Legis-' laturo ; has set up an; Arbitration. Court: tn ileal ;with .working "conditions';maiidus.trius when disputes'arisd.and are reierirOd to it for settlement. .To , : .that:: extent Parliament has rclcgiiiiiti ifa ; duties' tii tho Arbitration Court.r and v the federation holds Uiat.it. is v.-rong tlint.any .bodyi of workers should-go, the.■ court', to have: working conditions arranged, and 'retain tin; .light' of Ketnjj. afferivards f<> •Parliaraeut for. coneessions ;that ' havti been refused by the court; _'.-. : •:-:■. .■; As to the union contention'that 1 the existius awards coyer.only a,minbrity,of ■ wotkprs" enxiign! in. the affected,',industries, Mr. l'ryor pointed out. that awards should* bo obtained in every. ..instance..if iiltslred.-.' The unions 1m: tjiinte,; should be : consistent, and adopt' the , same- course throughout.'. In this-, connection ',it .* was instancijd by the ' federation. ■: secretary, that: hotel. workers 'in * Botoriia- had'..' ob-' taincd an.award, and ho wiggesljed ilmt tho example thus • sot could',be, readily followed, in. other: small, centres. ',:. ; ,-..:., In conclusion, Jlr.Pryqr laid stress.on tho fact that sonic of. the. existing awards are the result .of agreements between 'tlie. parties -concerned; and embody .n.prb'vidon that the working hours shall, be 05 per week. This was ignored by. the unions in seeking to have .tlie bourastatutorily fixed at GO.'.-per wtt-k , iur male employees, and s(i per wpek for females. ■