CONCILIATION COUNCIL

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2443, 23 April 1915, Page 7

CONCILIATION COUNCIL

UNSETTLED DISPUTES

A WARM DISCUSSION

. The> hearing of the dispute between the Wellington Hotel Club and Restaurant Workers' Union and private hotel and restaurant workers by the Conciliation Council yesterday morning gave rise to an important statement from the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. P. Hally) regarding the work of Conciliation Councils and the attitude of parties. - \

Mr. Hally, in opening, said he would like to make one or two remarks hearing on the cases that had already been reheard,- and the results attending the efforts of the council. During the early stages of the war and for some time ■prior to that a number of disputes were filed. The oases were heard and referred to the Court. For some reasons no settlement of points in dispute could be arrived at. The Court decided that another opportunity, should be given the parties of meeting before the council; probably _ thinking that in this more settled time a better result would follow.. The action of the Court in permitting the. disputants another opportunity of arranging their differences in this manner was wise and generous, especially at this critical period. He regretted to' have to state, however, that notwithstanding the direction and thoughtfulness of the Court, and the efforts of the various parties interested in these disputes, the result so far ns progress was concerned was disappointing, not only to the parties involved, but he felt confident that it would be disappointing to the Court also. He would have to return to the Court in most cases disputes in. the same condition as they were sent to him the second time. It would be disappointing to ; the Court that greater effeot had not been given to its direction. He did hot' blame the parties that had attended the He believed they had the best intentions of coming to a settlement.

; "In this connection it is remarkable," continued Mr. Hally,'"that this state of affairs was almost entirely confined to Wellington City. In Wanganui, Napier, Palmerston North,- and Masterton employers and their workers had their differences'of opinion in respect to industrial.matters, just the same as they had here ;' nevertheless it is noteworthy that they were able to arrange their difficulties'in an amicable manner, and without much assistance from.'the Court. This applies equally to other industrial districts. Tha spirit of 'sweet reasonableness''seems- to be better appreciated and understood to a greater extent" even on tho' West Coast of the South Island than it does here in Wellington. There had been only two cases during the past six years. Hyhen the Court had found it necessary .to go to Westland."

He admitted that the present was a most strenuous time. The ordinary working man, the housewife,-and the employer all hid their anxious time. Employers, generally, were not so. prosperous, and speculators were more cautious than two years ago.. But, admitting this, he could not understand why_ the whole machinery-of tho Arbitration Court should be put "in motion, and .why the whole of the ramifications of a large industry should be made pub-, lie, simply because the parties to a dispute in that industry could not agree with each other about some 1 special branch of preference. Neither could he understand, why a trade that had not liad ; an increase-of wages for fourteen years, so he .was .t01d,., should find it necessary to ask the Court to make an award that would increase wages 3 Jd. per .week-.on tho present rates. As, a. public official he felt he should draw attention to -tTiis. • What it was possible to do in. other places should be possible here, and he called attention to the case in the hope that an improvement would be made iu future. At present there was a feeling, ■ he would not-say of hatred, but of animosity. The- present feeling was breeding distrust. '• : Union Secretary's viewpoint. The agent for the union in dispute (Mr. E. Kennedy) replied that the inference from the Commissioner's iremarks was that the workers' organisations were to blame for no settlement being arrived at. On behalf of the unions and assessors who had come to the council he wished to say clearly that there had always been an earnest desire to effect a settlement before the council. They recognised that a voluntary agreement, worked more satisfactorily than one froiii the Coui't. In the present case, however, while the union's demands were reasonable, the counter-proposals clearly showed that the employers would not even consider a settlement at the moment.

"I remember being in Court," added •Mr. Kennedy, "when Mr. Grenfell said that no dispute could be settledin Weilington, every increase had to bo dragged out in Court, because the fighting forces of the employers were centred in Wellington." H. Grenfell, the employers' agent, replied that the statement just made was not according to fact. Mr. Kennedy went on to say that there were.employers in Wellington who were keeping up to the demands put forward by the union, showing that they considered them reasonable, lie; employers, in their counter-proposals, wanted the removal of the protection for .women workers in private hotels. This protection had been fought for,'and* the employers wanted it removed so that they might sweat the women workers. " ™ regard to increased ■ prices, the employer could pass it on; but the worker could not, except by endeavouring to get a higlier price for his labour, i Ins the employers would-not give unless the workers .went to the Court, and fought hard for it. The Employers' Attitude. Mr. Grenfell replied that there were sevoral factors operating in regard to the settlement of disputes, and one of these had. special relation to the citv. These wore not original disputes, and had been heard and reheard by tho Conciliation Council and Arbitration Court time and again. In the great bulk (if the cases thero was no dispute between the employers and tho workers, except a technical or legal dispute, which always existed when an award expired Dissatisfaction on tho part of the workl ers did not exist. Contimiin", Mr Grenfell quoted the dictum of the Arbitration Court at Gisborne in 1909. It laid down that a union should not expect an increase every time a new award was mado. _ It was not the duty of tho Court to give such increases, "and tho Court had stated that before initiating a dispute the workers should assure themselves that they had reasonable grounds. Tho Court would not alter conditions_ -unless it were proved that the existing award was unjust. The disputes that had been before the council were not new.

"You reflect, Mr. Commissioner," Mr. Grcnfell went on to say, "-upon the parties to disputes. My answei is that those disputes have been settled as far as it is possible to settle them." This was no actual dispute, it was a technical one. The employers were obliged to gay they would call a halt. In the' dispute under notice the Court had in 1911, as indicating that it did not intend to alter awards, repeated every detail of the wages amended in 1907. The high cost of living, stated as a reason for increases, was operating against the employers in the present case, as "they had to food their men. "Keen and Bitter." *j r ' re * y re P'ifed that the unions had r*aa ana were prepared to bo advised

bytho Gisbome precedent. Mr. Grenfell had misread it and quoted it till they -were sick of it. There had been increases in every case before the Court since the Gisborne dictum. There were no settlements in Wellington because there were advocates on the employers' side, more keen and bitter titan, in any workers' union.

Mr. Grenfell said that t"ho present restaurants award had not been altered and had been made after the Gisborno dictum.

Mr. Hally then took up tho discussion, saying that the employors were progressing in Wellington. There was not an employer in the room who was not doing a little bit better than some years ago. Under altered conditions they should meet the workers. It would be better if there wore more trust between the parties. A strained position even led to dishonest tactics. The Men's Demands, The discussion then turned to the demands of the employees, the principal increases in which are at the rate of 2s. 6d. per week for the lowest paid and for women workers, others at 55., and in one or two cases more. An amended preference clause • was asked for, with the six-day week for all-ure-week- employees, six-day employees to remain as at present. Mr. Hally asked if the employers' demands were bedrock, Mr. Grenfell replying that the increased cost of meals supplied already meant a rise. Mr. Carey suggested the employers take "dry" pay. Mr. Grenfell went on to say that the employers intended to ask the council to exempt private hotels, as had been done in other cities. He also asked if the union would accept the hotel workers' award for the. six-day week. Mr. Carey: No, because it doesn't apply. That's Mr. Grenfell's cunning scheme.

Mr. Hally: Don't say that. Mr. Carey added that Mr. Grenfell wanted to deprive the girls of the halfholiday they already had. Preference. With regard to preference, continued Mr. Grenfell, the' Court had indicated how far it would go and it would be folly on the part of tho employers to concede more.

Mr. Kennedy, interjeoted that- this was the advice of tho Employers' Association. Immediately they got the employers away from the influence of the association a settlement was reachcd.

Mr. Grenfell: And under tie influence of the union secretaries.

Mr. Carey replied that there were fewer breaches of the union clause than of the clause given by tlhe Court. Mr. Gr-enfell: Because tie union gets such power that it can force recalcitrant employees to join. You drove a woman away from Palmerston North. To this-Mr; Carey replied that the woman had been . just egged on by hangers-on at the bar. She had gone on to Gisborno and joined the union immediately.

The council went into committee at this stage; l _ _ After considerable discussion in committee no agreement was reached, and it was decided that the whole. matter be referred to the Arbitration Court. •