STRIKE LEGISLATION
During the next session of the Parliament of New South Wales a new Industrial Bill will come up for consideration. _ According to a cablegram which we publish in another column the measure is not intended to prohibit strikes, but its purpose is to prevent strikes from occurring without full opportunity having first been given for,_ reflection and deliberation. In spito of the fact that a Labour Government has been in power in New South Wales • for a number of years, the strike problem remains unsolved. Disputes regarding wages,_ hours of labour, preference to unionists, and working conditions generally are continually disturbing the community, and industrial reformers are still endeavouring to put an end to the loss and bitterness caused by the oohflicts between Capital and Labour. It" is worthy of remark that in its latest proposals for dealing with strikeH the Labour t Government. of New South Wales is following in the footsteps of the Reform Government of New Zealand. The new Industrial Bill seems to copy very closely the legislation adopted by the Dominion Parliament in 1913, which insists on time being given for reflection and deliberation before industrial war is fiually declared. The New Zealand Act makes provision for inquiry into the merits of the dispute, and requires a secret ballot to be taken before a strike can be lawfully commenced. Public opinion—the opinion of , the . great "third party"4-is : Vthus' given a chance to express itself, and bring moral pressure to bear in favour of justice and fair dealing. In the meantime the passions of the contending parties have an opportunity of cooling down, and reason is given a chance to do its proper work. If, after these preliminaries have been gone through, a peaceful settlement is. unattainable, the disastrous "down tools" policy may legally be adopted., There has fortunately been no serious labour trouble in Now Zealand since the above ideas were embodied ' in the law of the land, and the effectiveness of the new legislation has not yet been put to the test of actual experience, The information at, present available does not indicate, now far the New South Wales Government has followed the latest New Zealand labour legislation in detail, but it seems reasonably certain that the Industrial Bill which is to 'be introduced during the coming session of the New South Wales Parliament represents an attempt to deal with the strike question on lines similar to those wiiich have already commend-, ed themselves to the New Zealand Legislature. All such legislation is confessedly experimental, and the problem to be solved is an extremely difficult and delicate one. The right to refuse to work is a weapon which Labour is entitled to retain, but It is necessary, in the interests of the individual worker and of the whole community, that it should not be used except as a last resort. No one ought to havo the power to rush a union into a strike or to' establish a lock-out at a moment's notice; but after reasonable time for consideration and inquiry has been given, and those concerned have had an opportunity of expressing their mind without unduo pressure or intimidation, liberty demands that the workman or employer should not be deprived 'of his right to resort' to the strike or tho lockout. This is the view taken by the New Zealand Parliament,, and the Parliament of New South Wales will probably be asked to affirm the same broad principles.
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Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2363, 20 January 1915, Page 4
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576STRIKE LEGISLATION Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2363, 20 January 1915, Page 4
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