ARBITRATION ACT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1232, 14 September 1911, Page 4

ARBITRATION ACT.

ARE BOGUS UNIONS POSSIBLE? Last week Mr, D. M'Laren asked the Minister for Laboar tho following question:—"Whether there is any provision in tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act which will prevent a body of workers in any industry from acting in collusion with their employers towards tho forming and registering of a bogus union under tho Act in order to prevent other workers in tho industry from availing themselves of the benefits of the Act in the way of securing an industrial agreement or award; and if he will submit an amendment of the Act which will provide that, on a petition of one-tenth of the members of a workers' union covering claims for improved conditions of employment, the union will be required to file such claims as a dispute, or part of a dispute, under the Act? The Minister replied yesterday as follows:—"No such cases have been experienced during the time the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act has been in force, and there is no provision restricting the freedom of any persons in registering a union under the Act, provided the rules of such union are in accordance therewith. I am afraid that a clause to deal with a case of the nature referred to would restrict the rights which for yean? the Government havo been striving to grant to workers. Only experience would show whether such a union ivero a lwgns oue or not, and if it wero so, steps could bo taken for, its cancellation,"