THAT CALL TO STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1916, 26 November 1913, Page 8

THAT CALL TO STRIKE.

COMING RECKONING, j WHAT SOME UNIONS OVERLOOK. THE PROSECUTIONS. FOK BT?BACHES OF THK AWAIiDS. Jn tlio excitement of t'ho limes, important things were being overlooked l).v some of the unions which t.lie.y wiil presently have to face. The law', no doubt, moves slowl.v, but 110110 tlso less surety. Hie reference is to those unions winch are registered under the Arbitration Act, and which have struck in sympahty with the watersiders. There are several unions not only in Wellington but m other ccntrcs who liavo ''downed tools" without consideration for their obligntions under the Act obligations that are- tantamount to an agreement with tho people of the Dominion. There arc'two such unions in nellington—tbo drivers and the building trade labourers. In both cases the men seem to have been ted by the officers, iUio are too wary to offer any opposition to the Federation of Labour. The Penalties Provided. But Nemesis is now on their track, 1 hose members of unions who struck will be prosecuted under Sections 5 and 0 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Act of 1903. Section 5 states: • ben any strike takes place in an industry every worker who is, or becomes a party to the strike, and who is at the commencement of tliu strike bound by any award of industrial agreement affecting tuat industry, shall bo liable to a penalty not exceeding livo inftldred pounds. riio same penalty is provided for in tho ease of an employer found guilty cf an unlawful lock-out. Section 0 reads — Every person who incites, insti-gtt-.'OK, aids, or abets an unlawful stnko or lock-out, or the contiuua nee ol any such strike or lcck-out, or w iio incites, instigates, or assists any person to bccomo a partv to anv such strilw or lock-out, is liable, i'f a worker, to a penalty not exccediii" ten pounds, and if an industrial wn, industrial association, trade ""'<>»> employer, or any' person other than a worker to a penalty not. exceeding two hundred pounds'. Section S) of tho same Act deals with specific trades, one of which is tho delivery of coal. If these men strike without giving iourtec.i days notice, the section provides that tho striker shall be liable, on summary conviction before a magistrate, to a line not exceeding five ; Jiuikli'Otl pounds. In this ease the men are liable, whether their union is recis* fcred under the Act or not. How Awards May be Suspended. Some of tile Arbitration Act unions who have struck are working under verv good awards. In all eases these award's are a b least satisfactory. According to bcction 10 of tho Act, tlio awards may be set aside on an oifciico "bring committed. This leaves such uuions in tho position of Inning to make the best terms they can witii the cmplovcrs. Section 10 reads— "(a) When an industrial union or industrial association of workers is convicted under Section 0 of this Act of having incited, instigated, aided, or abetted-n strike by aiiv of its members m breach of that Section, or whon judgment is obtained under Section G oi this Act against an industrial union or in* ciusfcruu association of workers lor a penalty incurred by it for inciting, instigating, aiding, or abetting a strike by any of its members, or the continuance of any such strike, or for inciting, instigating, or assisting any 3 orson to become a party to any svich strike, tho Court 111 K'liicli tho conviction or judgment is obtained may in the said'conviction or judgment order that the registration of the union or association shall bo suspended lor such period ns the Court tilings fit, not- exceeding two years.

"(b) During any such period of sust!io said union or association shall' oe incapable of instituting, cr continuing, or of being a party to any conciliation or arbitration proceedings under tlic principal Act, or tliis Act, or of entering ifito any industrial agreement or of taking or continuing any proceedings for the enforcement of any award or industrial agreement or of making any application for the cancellation of its registration." In reference to the foregoing, it may be pointed out that penalties have bceif inflicted and the fines collectcd in tlio. easo of several strikes in. the past, not-1 ably the slaughtermen and the Blackball j miners.