INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 132, 28 February 1920, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK

A DOMINION CONFERENCE -SUGGESTED

PROPOSAL BY WELFARE LEAGUE

With a view to placing the conditions of industry on .a batter basis, the Welfare Lcmiio suggests the calling by the Government of a conference of producers, ernployors. and workers. Ir. furtherance of its' proposal, the league has sent tho following memorandum to the Prime Minister, all public bodies and associations representing producers, employers, or workers, asking them to give it their support by passing a resolution in favour of ft:- .

"After exhaustive innuiry into the present unsettled state of industrial affairs in New Zealand, the league has arrived at certain conclusions which it respectfully submits for the consideration of the Government nnd of all parties interested. It appears to us that much of the uncertainty and mistrust that exists is duo to there being no general regulative system of control which is mutually acceptable to both employers and workers. The settlement of disputes and the establishment of common rules upon which the industries shall bo operated are being d?alt with by such varied methods (hut proper co-ordination is impossible. The. Conciliation Councils and the Arbitration Court each in their own way create standards of industrial rule. On tho other hand, many employers and unions of workers ignore the legally established methods of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and make settlements by direct anil private conferences on lines that regnrd only the interests of those taking part in the dispute. In respect to the important industries of coal supply, shipping, and general transport, the parties seem to have quito settled upon acting entirely apart from the 6ystem of compulsory arbitration, and have reverted to the old stylo of mutual agreements or the stoppage of work hy strikes or lock-outs. As these key industries greatly affect the general trade and commerce of the Dominion, the fact of the changed attitude of employers and workers in such industries towards the Dominion's industrial laws is a matter for tho fullest and promptest consideration. '

"As an outcome of the want of agreement upon a common method for the settlement of disputes, and, also, owing to tho conflicting standards of industrial conditions from time to time being established, we find a very widespread feelin-.' nf uncertainty and insecurity obtaining throughout the wholo Dominion. This state of affairs is very undesiraMc, as it is hampering tho proper develunment of our industries at a time of needful reconstruction in matters uf economic and •mninl importance. "Tho interdependence of our trades and industries is a vital fact which is practically ignored, and should receive a great deal more consideration than it (Icm, So lorn? as each industry, trade, and calling follows its owii course without any resard as to how it affects others, lli« xenaral welfare is rhw to suffer "There wns a proposal from tho Labour tederation that the GovCTiment ahould call a conference of employers and workers. This proposal was not 'followed up, nor did it apparently receive the consideration to which it'was entitled Tho league >believes that this suggestion of the Labour Federation was a most valuable one, and would strongly urge upon the Government that it take the very earliest steps to call togothor a National Industrial Conferaaco, to )\i composed of representatives of tho Government, of the employers and workers in the primary and key industries, of tho same in the secondary and minor industries, and of representatives chosen to watch matters from the standpoint of tho consumers. This conference' should be directed to endeavour to arrive al some mutual understanding between th* various interests whereby common ait thorities might bo established to govcrji the 6ettloment of industrial disputes ami effect tho establishment of common rulw upon which our industries would be ojwrated. The order of reference for such a conference might, if the Government thought proper, include other questions nf general importance affecting ths relations of employers and employees, but our main purpose in issuing this memorandum is to urge' with all our power tho great need that exists for calling a National Conference speedily on tho very important issue of the methods and policies of industrial relations, as theso ai-o expressed in tho .now cvery-day industrial disputes which wo have as a, people to deal with, especially from the point of view of increasing our production and continuity of work. -Without bias for any particular system, wo counsel the need a't this time of reconstruction, for a national review of all the systems in vogue in other countries for the hotter co-opera-tion of Labour and Capital. From such ah examination it is possible that some common factors of agreement may bo decided upon, ami that, we submit, would I>s of advantage to the general welfare of the Dominion."