LABOUR DISPUTES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 149, 19 March 1920, Page 7

LABOUR DISPUTES

AUSTRALIAN ARBITRATION SYSTEM

AMENDMENTS SUGGESTED

Br Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright

Sydney, March 18. The Conference of Chambers of Commerco passed a resolution in favour of holding a conference with representatives of other organisations, including Labour, to discuss Mr. Braddon's arbitration proposals. A further resolution urges the Commonwealth Government to call a convention lof employers and employees to _ amend the Arbitration Act by appointing assessors with expert knowledge of the industry afTccted by the dispute to co-operate with the judge adjudicating upon it, and requiring both parties to an award to deposit bonds to ensure its observance.

Ihe conference also resolved to call upon the Federal Government to decontrol the sugar industry and to remove all' export prohibition.—Press Assn.

TO STOP STRIKES LORD WEIR'S THREE WORDS FOR EMPLOYERS. Faith, action, and enterprise on the part/of employers would solve labour troubles, _ This belief was expressed by Lord Weir in a sneech at Glasgow. If, he went on, employers adopted highly perfected methods and processes wage rates per hour would cease to become that supreme factor in industry which they represented at present. If employers played their part in developing, encouraging, and pioneering.' tho rigidity of trade union rules would be compelled to relax through the necessity of the unions .adapting themselves to the new conditions. Let them concentrate on bringing about a new industrial structure, which would nrovide places not only for the few skilled workmen, but for all grades of the working population, and automatically the education of the unions would take place concurrently. In view of the enormous risks they were running, it was essential they should have a truco in disputes and more patience on the part of all. There was another factor in these' problems. They must never forget, whatever decisions might be reached for defending the country, the real backbone of their defence must moi.> and more become the strength of their, cngipeering factories. In everything that the motor manufacturer did fo strengthen his position in the manufacturing world, he was contributing to the defences against any future menace to th»ir freedom and also against those who stirred un trouble and strike in the social and political life of their people.