LABOUR DISPUTES ACT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2124, 16 April 1914, Page 6

LABOUR DISPUTES ACT

REPEAL ASKED FOR

BY CONFERENCE OP UNIONS

Tho Arbitration Union's Conference was continued at tho Trades Hull yesterday. Mr. A. Ho'ssor, of Auckland, presided.

Tho following report, by a snb-com-mittco, upon ;irl>itration and tho aflirmntion of principles, was adopted, after lull discussion on each clause:—

(1) That registration under tho Act and cancellation of registration under tho Act, lnnst ho of an entirely voluntary character by bona lido workers in. tho industry.

(2) That where a union decides by a majority veto, as required by tho Act, to cancel its registration, it shall not ]oso its legal status thereby; and it shall not bo competent for that union or any other union, in the same- industry and in the same locality to lie registered without tho consort of a majority of tho members of such union being obtained. (3) It shall not be competent for any union to refuse membership to any worker employed or desiring to ho employed in tho industry covered by tho union. (4) That tho Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913, is a most pernicious measure, and rubversivo of (ho principles laid down by tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act from its inception; this conference strongly insists on its repeal. (5) That tho Police Offences Amendment Act, 1913. bo repealed, and tho rights of peaceful picketing be placed on tho samo footing as under British law.

(6) No union shall agree to, or' appoint anyone to sign, any industrial agreement until a special meeting lias been called and ballot of tho union taken as laid down by Section 10? of tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 190 S.

(7) That registration, of any union or its rules shall be subject to an appeal to tho Court. The Lock-Out. In the afternoon several remits dealing with the Conciliation and Arbitration Act were considered. With regard to section 123, Sub-sec-tion (b), dealing with permits to work, it was agreed that two days' notice, in» stead of six, should bo given for the bearing of such applications for a permit.

In tho definition of a lock-out, it was decided to alter Section i to read as follows (tho new section being in'parentheses) : —"ln this Act tho terra 'lockout' the act of an employer in closing his piaco of business, or suspending, or discharging his business, or any branch thereof (or discharging any of his employees,, whoso places are filled by other workers within fourteen days after the discharge, tho discharged em* ployco being at .tho time capable of performing the work allotted to him)." Tho opinion of tho conference, with regard to Section 6, dealing \vith unlawful strikes, was that the section should be deleted.

Sub-Section 3 of Section 9, requiring the serving of notices to employer and worker before striking, and inflicting special penalties with regard to strikes and lock-outs in certain specified industries, was not considered to bo right, and a motion suggesting that- this portion of tho Act snould bo deleted wa-s carried. A similar course was taken with regard to tho penalty for unions tha;t could not meet the.amount of the judgment. It was decided that ten days should bo substituted for three days ia SuhSeotion 2,' Section 60, in which it is" stated: "A worker shall be. deemed to bo dismissed, within the meaning of the section, if he is suspended for a longer period than ten days." Leavo of Absence. A remit was carried to the effect that the following now section should be added to tho Act:—"That it shall be obligatory upon tho employer to grant leavo of absonco to any employee when ho has been elected by a union to attend to any union business, or, as an assessor, has to attend tho Conciliation Council, that governs the particular dispute, irrespective of whef o he is employed."

The conference resolved to urge theGovernment to amend the Act in the following direction: —"That in tho event of a dispute arising between employers and employees, an advertisement in the local newspapers, or an announcement in the Gazotto shall be a, sufficient citation to all employers and employees involved in tho dispute."

It was agreed that Section 11 of the 1911 Act should bo amended as follows:—'That a sitting of tlm Court bo held in the cities of Auckland, Wellington. Christchurch, and Dunedin, ones In each two months, to deal with any dispute wheh has ' been referred to the Court, and that all. decisions be- given within thirty days from the date of hearing of tho dispute."

_ Tho following resolution was also carried: —"No person or corporate- body shall bo exempt from becoming parties to an industrial dispute, nor sfsali they be exempt form tho provisions of an industrial agreement of tho Arbitration Court."

Tho conference will bo resumed this morning.