COST OF STRIKES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1288, 17 November 1911, Page 3

COST OF STRIKES.

FORTY-TWO IN FIVE YEARS, AX IKTKKKSTINf; lIMTLKX.

The liilxmr slalislics in Hie ndviiiic-" sli<-c,ls iii' (lit* Yciir J look. j-liiii-llv I" In , jinhiislu'il. conlaiii smnn in-l'nri:ir.f-ii!i iilcmt Ilif Ki-owth of iiiiinnisiii :.iiu'f ' u< i'liiifiSiiilidii sinil Arliilr;ili"ii Ar< cuii'.o inln i'm-e, and <•!' I Ik- ulrik.vs tlial. have ai'lually nrciinvd in thai linn , .

In tlio Trar n-liicli emli-il Maicli :ll laM. 87 industrial <li~puto~ vorc ileal I: «illi. (If tho-r (V) were fully wltlnl; 11 «*ro Jiarlinllv .-fin-il; and S worn wholly tcfprrcd 'to tlio Arliilrnliim C.'niirl. 'i''"' cosl of ndmimf-tralnm of Hi" Ac! I'.v Jh<Arliiti'iitiou I'ourl and ('oniii-ilf- of <■ "m----cilintion ihiriiiß Hie year «> .tl!8l2. Tin , mimlrcr of imluslriiil unions on Inn rpgi>(pr shows a. stpaily iniTcasc from l!)l in mon tn 325 in 1008, but it Ml Ui IlflS I.lm following y«ir, at ivbicli nmnlipr itstill stood in 191(1. II is common knoivIcdga, however, that quito reccully a Diinibpr of tmions hare eancellod rpgistration, fn that the number is probably considerably reduced. The membership of tho unions has increased to such an extent as more than compensates for the loss by cancellation. In 1900 (ho unionists in registered unions numbered 17,980; in 1908, 19,317; in 1909, 5i,519; in 1910, 57,091. Number and Cost. The following table summarises generally tho statistics collected about strikes which have occurred: — Number of strikes comiDg within scope, of the Act 20 Nunibar of strikes outside the Act. 2-2 Total number of strikes ••• $2 dumber of disputes included in total which mav be classed

as trivial or unimportant '-0 Men fully successful in (cases) 13 Employers successful in . (casosi t> Compromise effected in (cases) 23 Average duration of all strikes, trivial cases not included (days) • 10 Total number of striker? (trivial cases not included) 1,565 Total number of men rendered idle by strikes (trivial cases not included) 2,853 Approximate loss in wages to workmen concerned (average, ,£7) Approximate loss to employers concerned ,£16,378 Total amount of fines inflicted on strikers .£1,708 Total amount collected to date (SO per cent.) .61,360 Growth of Strike Movement. The strikes have all occurred in five years. For the first twelve real's after tho Act became law, unions were formed and disputes were filed at a merry pace, and tho first strike did not occur until November 14, 1900, when tho Auckland tramway men walkul rfi' their cars, ov.n? to the company's notion in dismissing two conductors. TMs strike lasted three hours only. The b;;i strike of Auckland traiuwaynien did not occur until May, 190 S. Then tho business of the city was disorganised for four days and a half. In l!! 07 there were 12 strifes of slaughtermen employed in meat export works. There was a doinand for higher wages in one establishment, and, tho wages not being granted, the men struck. Whereupon the butchers in other works struck in sympathy, and, in their turn, demanded tho same higher rates. In 190S there were 12 strikes, all distinct and independent. In 1909 there were i strikes; in 1910, 2; and in 1911, up till March 31, 2. There have been others since March, notably the Merchant Service Guild affair, and the series of labourers' strikes at Auckland. This takes no account of threats to strike, which have l.con very frequent among certain well-organised bodies of workers during the las tthree months. Most of tho strikes lasted a few <hiys only, but that of the coalminers at Blackball was not settled for eleven weeks.

No Lock-outs. In all. four employers were proceeded against for alleged lock-outs. All tho charges wero dismissed.