INDUSTRIAL LAW.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1143, 2 June 1911, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL LAW.

NEW SOUTH WALES BILL

IMPORTANT PROPOSALS.

By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright

Sydney, June 1.

Mr. Becby, Minister for labour, in explaining his proposed new industrial legislation, said it would provide for/Conciliation Committees to be independent of the Wages Boards and tho Arbitration Court. He believed this would have the effect of maintaining continuity of industrial operations. If men struck without giving tho Department notice that there-had been unrest that was likely to lead to a strike, they would be liable to a heavy penalty. Local permanent Conciliation Committees would be established in all large mining centres. It was proposed to simplify the procedure, particularly that under which boards were created. The' appointment of a board would be in tho hands of the Governor, with advice from the Executive.

The Arbitration Courts would be maintained, and additional Judges appointed if necessary. Litigatioil arising from the Employers' liability and Workmen's Compensation Acts would be investigated by the Arbitration Court. '• ' . .

Industries would be grouped, instead of there being boards for different sections. This would prevent overlapping.

The last Government's Industrial Dis-' putes Act (known as the Coercion Act) would be repealed. Awards shoujd operate automatically in Ihe Government Service. Preference to unionists would remain within the option'" of '''the Court, '''mv ' Boards would bo unable to make awards, but would make recommendations to tho^Court. Participants 'in. an"""unlawful strike would be subject to fines; there would bo no alternative of imprisonment. Fines would be enforceable by. gsrnishee on wages. Unions aiding and abetting an unlaw- I fill strike would bo liable to a fine of iClOOO; the union would be cancelled, as would also ■be the award under which the members were reaping the benefits. ■ The Act would not cover any organisation not registered. The Government would have . power, in the case of any strike,- to take a secret ballot as to whether the strike should continue. Mr. Wade (ex-Premier), in a criticism, said he considered tho Bill fully justified the legislation passed by the Government. FINES ON STRIKERS. THE LAW NOT ENFORCED. Sydney, June 1. Mr. Holnian, the Acting-State Premier, stated, in reply to a question, that one hundred and thirty-four persons had been fined for taking part in strikes since October 14 last. Only one fine had been paid, and nobody had been imprisoned for npn-nayment., No steps had been taken to enforce payment. An application for remission of tho fines was, added Mr. Holmari, under consideration. W.HAT THE PROPOSALS MEAN. In the' l course of a recent policy speech the Acting-Premier of New South \yales, Mr. Holman, announced that all existing industrial arbitration legislation would be repealed. "Our party," he said, "has always advocated tne settlement of industrial disputes by means other than strikes. The strike is an obsolete weapon. The workers gain nothing by it; they can obtain far better results by resort to arbitration. Mr. Wade's Bill, as introduced, abandoned the,-principle of industrial arbitration, and substituted for it a Wages Board system on tho lines of the system then in force in Victoria. It was worse than the Victorian system, because that system, however much we may criticise it, merely aimed at preventing sweating, and did not prevent the recurrence of strikes. We, the Labour men, made n strenuous fight in the House, and ultimately Mr. Wade wns persuaded to accept a number of amendraonts by the then Opposition. Finally, tho Bill emerged as a compromise, a' feeble-minded blending' of the Arbitration Act and tho Wages Board system. Mr. Wade's Act, 'while it has done some good to workers in weak organisations, has had little or no effect in preventing strikes. ' Now, our proposal is to go back • to the principles of our party. We shall, in tho first place, create a real Court of Indiistrinl Arbitration. In the next place, instead of a vast number of Wages Boards—we hnve .about 12G at present— we shall arrange allied trades in-grouns, nnd nppnint smaller courts or boards for each. These boards will merely make recommendations. Under this system, we shall gain these advantages: First uniform principles will underlie the different awards; secondly, mistakes that have been mado in the past owing to boards exceeding their jurisdiction will be abolished: thirdly, we slinil oscnpe the complicated and exnensivn system of onpeals from the board-- to the Court, which now sxists. . . . We propose to exclude lawyers from Hie bonH? entirely, nnd nnly tn allnw them n look in before the Cniirt by Hip consent nf both parties or nt tlin Fnooinl rernioH nf the Judge where points nf Inw tire involved. Tlie decision of the Imlnstrinl Court on any matter will be absolutely final."