GARAGE AND STABLE HANDS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1960, 17 January 1914, Page 6

GARAGE AND STABLE HANDS.

Important decision,

SUFFER FOR STRIKE BLUNDER. (By Talejrranh— Press Association.) Chrlstohurch, January 16. A very important judgment was given by Sir. Justice Sim in an industrial dispute between the Canterbury Motorear and Horse-drivers' and Livery Stable Employees' Industrial Union of Workers and ]?. Armstrong, Ltd., and others, and also in a dispute between the same union and J. Bosomworth and others. The judgment is as follows :— "These two disputes were heard in November last. Tho first-mentioned dispute relates to hours of work, wages, and other conditions of drivers of motor delivery vehicles. Tho other disputo relates to hours of work, wages, and other conditions of livery-stablo hands. After the hearing, and while tho disputes wero under consideration by the Court, it was reported in the newspapers, that members of tho union liad decided to engage in a. strike, and had carried the decision into effect. Tho Court caused inquiries to be made on the subject through the Clerk of Awards at Christchurch, and a statement, in writing, was obtained from Mr. Hiram Hunter, secretary of tho union. This statement was to tho effect that the union, resolved, at a meeting told on Friday, November 21, to request its members to cease- work on the following Monday, and that, in pursuance of this request, a majority of the members of the union, residing within a radius of ten miles of tho city of Christchurch, ceased work on 'Monday, but a majority of those who did so were ordered back threo days later. Assuming these to bo facts, it is clear tiiat tho union has been guilty of an offence under Section. 60 of the Industrial Conciliation nnd Arbitration j Amendment Act, 1903, by instigating a strike, and, on. being convicted of such offence, is liable to have its registration suspended' for a period of two years, under Section 10 of the same Act. Tho Court is of opinion that, in these- circumstances, it should refuse to make any award in the pending disputes, and the. applications are dismissed. It may bo the case that the workers immediately concerned in tho two particular disputes were opposed to the proposed strike, and that they havo to suffer, therefore, for the blunders of other people. So far as concerns the drivers of tho motor delivery vehicles there is now in Christchurch a now union to which they can belong, and which could obtain an award on their behalf.. There is, however, no ■ such Union in the case of livery stable employees, and tho Court recommends tho employers of these workers to pay them tho minimum wage fixed by tho last Auckland award, namely, £2 Bs. per week."