LABOUR DURING WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2847, 11 August 1916, Page 7

LABOUR DURING WAR

—$ ~ EMPLOYERS' REPORT PINCH -BEIN(j -FELT INTERESTING REVIEW Tho annual report ,of the Wellington Employers' Association states: — 'The departure of upwards of,' 50,000 of our young men-is being felt in the various industries and pffices. As our Notional Government has rightly undertaken to maintain the original strength of our forces, it is certain tlie shortage of men in pur industries will becomo 'moro acuto as time goes on, and employers will consequently find it moro difficult to secure necessary labour.- The Regulatjßn of Trade and Commerce Act - provides for suspension of awards during tho war period, but .the provision that the minimum wage must bo paid nullifies the securing of any relief under ii. In numerous offices and fa©, tories vacancies have been filled by females, but the greatest problem before employers is to- find workers to take tlie place of skilled men who have enlisted.- Assistance has been sought from the Arbitration Court in respect to workers in boot factories, but only a modicupi of relief has been afforded. Tlie Government lias made regulations relating to the employment' of returned soldiers which, if put into operation in their true spirit, will relieve "some of the inevitable hardship failing upon some of our maimed soldiers, and will enable thpm to find occupations suitable to their physical conditions. Disputes and Wages During War period. The facts that the continuance of the war and tho ljeed l for maintenance of our reinforcement drafts are dispreanisiilg business and creating abnormal conditions have not deterred some unions or their leaders from'pressing for higher wages and improved working conditions. Very many disputes have been initiated sincg the Arbitration Court decided' last year that it would renew r -the hearing of applications for now awards.

l'he Court has seen fit to increase wages ill a large number of cases on tho ground of tho increased cost of living. The extra expense thus involved, tho loss of hands who Jiavo enlisted, and the consequent lowering of tho Etandard of eificiency of tho workers, and the difficulties experienced hy manufacturing firms and importers'in scouring supplies of necessary goods, are seriously affecting the business and profits Df employers. Tho Court recently stated that it considered a minimum living Wage for workers during the war period' was £2 12s. per week for those on weekly pay, and Is. 3d. per hour for those' workers who were paid by tho hour, and suggested l that employers generally might well consider whether workers in their employ should not be granted a war bonus. The abnormal economic conditions and the increase in cost of necessary commodities ' to tho workers were generally recognised, and the pronouncement of the Court was welcomed-as giving a common ground in regard to increases upon which all classes of employers could act without prejudicing the position of others. It is believed employers generally have actopted tho dictun, of tho Court, and Uiavo granted to their lowest paid workers commensurate increases in wages. Labour Troubles. ~'A strilib of all workers employed at tho Petono Woollen Mills for a war bonus of 10 per cent, on award wages has been the chief local labour difficulty of the past year. The offer of a 5 per. cent, bonus, which had beefl accepted by the workers in tho southern woollen mills, was declined,: and the workers refused to work overtime; although the company was carrying out contracts for tho supply of war material. Subsequently the workers individually .gave tho company notice of the termination of their employment, and in duo timo left off work. An agreement was ultimately arrived at, and tho hands returned to work. Wo are glad to record tliat the Labour Department lias decided to prosecute the workers for striking. (Since this report was written the union has been fined £50 for striking.) Labour Disputes. The waterside workers early in iJlie present year pressed their claim for increased wages, although tho agreement under which they had been working since the 1913 strike does not'exjpiro -until December next. The result of conferences of Dominion representatives of both sides was that wages wero increased from a minimum of >ls. od. to In. 3d. i per hour, and other important variations in working conditions and overtime rates were arranged. Tho increase-of 3d. per hour, it is estimated, will" raise tho cost of handling goods throughout the Dominion by at least £70,000. Tho effect of this too favourable treatment of tin? watersiders is having a disturbing and harmful effect upon other workers by making them dissatisfied with the normal and reasonable wages they aro receiving. As a result of Conciliation' Council and Arbitration Court firocGodLilgs, various classes of workers received increases in wages as follows: — | Bakors and'pastrycooks, ss. per week; bricklayers, id. per hour; builders' la- j bourers, Id. per hour; dairymen's employees, os. per week; drives, 4s. per week; electrical workers, per j hour; engine-drivers, 6d. and Is. per day; furnituro trade Workers, ljd. per hour; grocers, 7s. Gd. per week; hairdressers' assistants, ss. to 10s. per week; retail soft goods employees, males ss. per week, females 2s. 6d. per week-; stonemasons, Jd. per hour; packers, ss. * per weok.. In nfTmtion to the aboye, substantial increases on wages were given by agreeiment 'to ffooks and' stewards, merchant service masters and officers, seamen and fireman, shearers and shedhanHs, and freezing works employees. Awards were for the first time given to lnundrv workers, taxi-drivers, shipwrights, bacon factories' employees, flour mills employees, and chief stewards. Arbitration Court Representative. 3lr. E. P. Duthie having retired from the position "of employers' representative on the Arbitration Court at the end of 1915, Air. William Scott, of Dunedin, was unanimously selected by tho New Zealand" Employers' Federation as its nominee, and was duly appointed to tho position. Mr. Scott's return to a seat onjhe Court was heartily welcomed by all classes of employers, as his experience as' employers' advocate, and as a former member of tho Court, specially fit him for _ this position of honour and responsibility. Now Zealand Employers' Federation. ' Tho work of tho Federation' is being carried on efficiently and successfully. Owing to tho war, there has been somo relief from tho stress of new industrial legislation. All matters of importance to employers coming beforo tho Legislature havo received close attention, and ill all other respects the Federation'has bpen zealous in. safeguarding as far as possible the best interests of employers. Compulsory Unionism. On the initiative of the Wauganui Employers' Association, application was mado to the Court of Appeal on the question of tho jurisdiction of tho Arbitration Court,in inserting in an award a provision compelling a workct to become a meinber'-'of a union. Tho appeal was allowed by a- Full Court, tho result being that preference clauses which havo been inserted in a number of awards on tho recommendations of Councils of Conciliation aro inoperative. It is well employers "should know that the Arbitration Court lias never of its own motion granted this objectionablo form of preference., Thefollowing remarks of tho Judges are quoted from the judgment:—Chief Justice Sir Stout: "If a Court finds tho statuto now making encroachments on what have hitherto been considered human rights or liberties,, then it -is "its duty to consider whether tho words making such an encroachment aro clear and definite. If tlioy are ambiguous, it would be the duty of tho Court to assumo that past rights and liberties wero not to bo invaded by dubious phrases. Tho phrase 'compulsory unionism' has been used, and I havo named it 'so-called compulsory unionism.' Compulsion is the antithesis to unionism. Unionism imports voluntary action. Ono might as well speak of 'compulsory volunteering' as 'compulsory unionism.' It was suggested that tho terms of tho stature wero obsolete, and practically the Arbitration Court could in overy contest on industrial matters between employers and employees do what it pleases. I havo always said it must bo only when tho contest is'between eniployees, and not when it is a dispute between two classes of workers." Justices Edwards and Cooper:'"The Arbitration Court has not, in our opinion, jurisdiction to mako any provision in an award which will,.or uiay, result in the absolute prohibition of t'hoexerciso by any-.einployer of his right to' employ non-unionists in his trado, and the exclusion of non-unionists from tlioir right to be employed in any industry.Mr. Justice "An attempt was mado to regulato tho relations between tho union and non-mem-, hers. Tho .Court had no jurisdiction to' regulato tlioso relations, and such provisions wero outside tho subject matter of an award."