LABOUR CONGRESS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2510, 10 July 1915, Page 3

LABOUR CONGRESS

FURTHER .BUSINESS;

The Labour Congress continued in (Wellington yesterday., . .. • It- was resolved, on ■ the motion of the Petolie-Branch, Amalgamated i Society of Engineers, "That in: the' opinion of this conference the Ministers of the Government Departments ■« should officially recognise all registered trade > unions which havo members Working in " tlieir Departments. ; And .¥ wo ; ; recommend 'united effort' being. made by the -unions concerned, to place their case for recognition before the Prime Minister." During discussion of the motion,' it was stated, ;that there' were unions of men in the Public Sorvice'who had no means :of the result :.of their' deliberations; before the Minister and-.discuss-ing lieir grievances with liim. ; Other remits from the Petone Branch of the Engineers' Society wero- adopted as follow:— .

"Any workers employed by the Government in any : Department, . shall ra-. ceive not less "than the award rate of pay governing the class of work ho was engaged to. perform." , ' : \-. ;"that the ipresent'.system'- of, including: trades "unions and friendly sqoiety old age pensions in the income returns when .applying;.for State old; age .pensions is a tax on thrift." . "That trades unions and friendly societies be given ■ the : same etatus as. the National Provident Fluid with regard tx>'superannuation.-"-' It'- was Tesolved: —. - .. I "(a)- That' the, conference urge the 'amendment of Section 50 of the Shops and Offices Act so as to-provide for payment at. overtime Tates, for time occupied in: attendance to horses in excoss of the 52-liour : week presoribed by the feaid Act." ■ • "(b) That wo urge the repeal of paragraphia) of Section 19 of the Shops , and Offices 7 Act, which allows ,'an occupier of- a shop to keep his shop open on tho stattutory half-holiday in any -week- m .which' I :a:special'holiday falls." -. ' -The:'following additional .resolutions, •poro carried. .. l . "-That this conference coroperato with all international trade unions;and jpoace societieswith :the; object of negotiating, in tho direction of terminating-tho present -war."

. ' "That the Government bo urged to impcso a graduated ,tax upon incomes and ■land for the relief of distress, caiused by .the; war; and • incomes below; £250,; per year'to'be exempt from taxation.'' ' ; The conference endorsed the • appeal, of the Canterbury-Drivers'Uniori to the trade '"unions of New; Zealand .for .financial assistance to contest ihe decision of air.' Hi' W. Bishop,' S.M. 1 , in reference to the 'liabilities of unionists for arrears of contributions after having participated in- a. strike. • It.was decided to recommend ,the TJnited Federation of ; Labour, to amend its constitutipn that any union may (in one! maniior or another) ■ be able to affiliate . with' 1 the U.F.L., .having' regard :to the union's,own.constitution. '•

. It was' decided 'to . arrange for a deputation: from'congress to wait-upon Parliament with a. view to haying the. life sentence passed . upon- Alice Parkinson remitted. .- , .. ... ~', '■

' The . question of tie loan -. from* the Ktistraliaa- Workers' "IJnion was opened and dealt with in open congress. It was agreed to recommend the United Federation of Labour toj: appeal to • unions witji a view of securing funds to' meet /the A.W.TJ. loan or any part of samo. It was decided to leave .to the United Federation of Labour representatives, the placing of matters'emanating from the congress before'the Prime Minisetr. . .T,bis closed tho opon congress .To-day a amference of representatives of unions affiliated ;to ■ the United Federation of Jatbojir will commence. ,