INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1179, 14 July 1911, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK.

EMPLOYERS' ASSOCIATION. ANNUAL REPORT. LABOUR LEGISLATION CRITICISED. The. annual report of (lie Wellington Employers' Asocial ion covers a wide range of important matters, ami makes special reference to various phases of labour legislation. The committee reports that the association is growing in importance as n medium of information and advice regarding industrial matters. Indeed, the committee considers that the assistance rendered employers is of such value as would jusil'y the payment of a much higher subscription than membership involves. The membership roll is well maintained, anil the financial position of the association also shows further improvement on previous'years. Still, a number of employers who really should lie members of the association hold aloof, although they, in common with employers generally, had their interests protected by the work of the association, and in li'iany instances had directly benefited from its operations.

Creation of Trade Disputes, The Arbitration Act, the report goes on to state, is certainly operating in the direction of encouraging the formation of industrial unions, as was intended by its originators.. 'T3ut it is of more importance and significance to the community to be compelled to realise that it is also proving an Act that is largely used for the creation of trade disputes and the unsettling o£ existing working conditions. The committee feels sure it \ras never intended by the Legislature that the provisions of the Act would be applied in this way,,but the records of the Arbitration Court and the history of the various disputes brought l>efore it clearly proved this statement to ]>e correct. In this connection it is believed one busy union secretary is largely responsible for iio fewer tliaii four trails disputes that have called for the attention of employers during the year."

The conciliation provisions' of the Act are now being administered and given effect to in a more satisfactory manner than formerly, and this result is thought to bo due to a better understanding of the real intention of Parliament. There is still much to Iμ desired, but the chief difficulty is to secure assessors who realise that they are representing the whole body of employers, and that what may seem to them a small concession to a union may be u«d against, employers throughout the Dominion.

"The hearing of breach of award cases by stipendiary magistrate; is still proving unsatisfactory in many wnys. Owins to the difficulty and expense of appeal in the higher Court, a number of decisions of , a former magistrate, which Hie employers luicw were, contrary to the rulings of the higher Court, were allowed to stand. The- chief objection to the hearing of these cases by magistrates is that their decisions in the various centres varied considerably, and could not bo taken us a general guide lo employers, whereas if the cases were taken by the Court that made the awards and,administered the Act finnlitv would ho reached and precedents, created. •■ Unsuccessful efforts had been made, to secure the right for the employers' representative to appear in the Magistrate's Court in breach of award cases. 'It certainly seemed anomalous thitt only counsel could apprar for parties in' an inferior Court, while in proceedings in the Court of Arbitration (a Court of final jurisdiction) a layman might represent the parties." Shops and Offices Act. The statement made by tho Hon. J. A. Millar that lie would take from tho Arbitration Court the discretionary power given to it by previous Parliaments of varying the hours of work prostvi))!xl by the Shcp3,.a'nd Offices Act was given effect to in an amending Act. Tho amendments have in a number of cases operated most unfairly. Although awards were in force throughout the Dominion ■relating to employees in hotels, restaurants, ami to butchers' and grocers' assistants, in which the 'weekly limits of uorking. hours granted by tho Court exceeded those provided by Statute, the Legislature saw fit to reduce theso hours to the Statutory limits by repealing clauses of Uio Act whieli enabled tho Court of Arbitration to make awards in keeping _ -p-ith tho exigencies of the several businesses, as ascertained from evidence submitted at the hearing of the disputes. To your committee it gceras obvious that the Court was in a position, to more equitably adj.ist the hours and working conditions of each trade or industry after hearing the parties in dispute than ■Parliament, which made a common rule, apply to various classes of businesses, irrespective of their reciuiroincnts. Why a difference of six hours per week was made in tho hours to bo worked by females in licensed houses and those employed in private hotels is incomprehensible to thoso interested. Thoso shopkeepers who wcro working under _ awards suffered a grave injustice in that they had to continue payment of award wages (which were based on award hours), but were compelled, nevertheless, to reduce tlio hours of work to those fixed by the Act. This was owing lo no jrovision having been made for the adjustment of awards to meet altered conditions. "Astounding Proposal." Tho committee states that (hero must be no cessation of keen watchfulness of all industrial legislation brought forward. Important, and in some respects objectionable, amendments were circulated last session, and would doubtless appear again. The strongest representations had already been made in opposition to tho "astounding proposal . . . that would practically mean compulsory and statutory preference to unionists." Another proposal wnuld really hiko from the people tho right to let certain work on contract, and compel them to pay award wages regardless of the value of the work 'done." Cancellation of registration of unions is not so general as it was twelvo months ago, and the committee thinks this is duo to the. change of opinion on tho part of a number of Labour leaders and their tardy recognition of the benefits of arbitration and conciliation. The action of the miners and the stand taken by the New Zealand Federation of Labour, which the report says "openly scorns the court, and refuses to recognise, its awards," are pointed to and the opinion expressed that if workers continued to put their unions outside the court at the rate they had until recently been doing, employers should agitato for the repeal of the Act.

Other Matters. In consequence, of the representations of the association, the information originally demanded by the Census Department "was reduced to practical limits," and it is boned by the committee that employers will now comply with tho wishes of the department. Reference is made to tho poll taken in Wellington on the question of tho weekly haif-holiday--Wc(lnesday v. Saturday. The utmost confusion from time to timo arises with regard to tho holidays to be observed by traders and manufacturers, and the committee suggests that a sub-committee, consisting of representatives of each trade or business be appointed to settle the days upon winch holidays aro to bo observed, and a motion in this direction will be brought forward at the annual meeting.

The Industrial Association is congratulated on the excellence of its Exhibition, the great variety of, die exhibits anil the Rcnci-al conduct of the show redundiiig to tho credit of all concerned in the management. "Although," Hie report concludes, "Parliament lms laboured during the past twenty years to satisfy the demands of labour, the workers sny they are no better off than formerly, and it has to be admitted that, many industries which should be nourishing in our midst aro really languishing. Your committee believes that it is in a large measure due to the fact that, the workers are. relying on the Government and the laws to better their condition, rather than depending on their own exertions and improved efficiency, as entitling them to claim better conditions. Workers have yet to fully recognise and appreciate the fact that they must give reasonable valiio in labour for the wages they receive. Otherwise tho limit of employers resources will soon be exceeded, and our industries cease to exist."