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INDUSTRIAL LAW

AMENDING ARBITRATION BILL

MINISTER WILL WITHDRAW A CLAUSE LABOUR MEMBERS' RESISTANCE, . When tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was introduced in tho House of Representatives, the Minister of Labour (Sir William Herries) stated that it contained technical clauses' desired by the Department. Tile Bill • was referred to the Labour Bills Committee, and was returned to the JJouse yssterday without serious amendment. The Labour members pro-ceeded-to demand the deletion .of clauses 3 and 4, and they "talked out" the report of tho committee on this issue.

Clause 3 of tho Bill provides that in 'proceedings beforo the Arbitration Court or Conciliation Council, employers and workers engaged in the industry, but not directly connected with the proceedings, may bo heard.. Clause 4, dealing with the formation of new unions, reads as follows:—

"Provided that if there is only one registered industrial union in the same locality or industrial district connected with tho same industry or related industries to which the members of tho union applying for registration might, in the opinion of the Registrar, conveniently belong, tho Registrar shall not have power to refuse registration on that ground in any case where the members of the union applying for registration have at a meeting called in accordanco with the rules of such applicant union resolved that they do not desire to join that existing registered union." Mr. Sullivan (Avon) declared the opposition of clie Labour members to these two clauses. The Bill had been brought forwnrd so lato in the session, he said, that there was no time for its consideration by the interested parties. Clause 3 would have the effect of permitting groups of workers and employers, not directly connected with the proceedings, to interfere witli the granting of an award. When the Clerks' Union went beforo the Court in Christchurch, the Clerks' Guild, formed in opposition to the union, had wished to be heard, but was turned away on the ground that it had no status. The clause Apparently was intended to meet such a case. . Clause 4 seemed designed to multiply .unions. If any group of disgruntled workers wished to form a new union irf an industry •that already had a registered union, the liegistrar was to be compelled to' grant registration. This meant giving facilities for the formation of blackleg unions. It was a union-breaking clause, striking at the foundation of trades unionism.

"An attempt'to smash the trades union organisation of this Dominion" was the description of tho Bill given to the House by Mr., F. N. Bartram (Grey Lynn). The aim of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act had been to promote industrial peace by giving facilities for organisation and negotiation,, and by preventing the multiplication of unions. , Clause 4 of the Bill was reversing the process by cncour- t aging tho formation of rival unions within one industry. The clause meant less industrial peace and more industrial war. It was the antithesis of the ont-big-union idea, its animating idea being the disintegration of unions. Any fifteen men, dissatisfied with an existing union, were to he allowed to form a union of their own, regardless of the will of the majority. The Minister in chargo of Immigration would be importing men for the job Mr. Bartram occupied the remainder of his half-hour with n stonowalling speech.

The Minister of Labour (Sir William Herries) stated that when the Bill was before the Labour Bills . Committee ho had stated his readiness to drop clauso 4. Ho was willing to drop the clauso when the Bill went into committee. Clause 3 he wished to retain for a purpose that he was prepared to explain later.

Labour members urged the Minister to cxplnin at once, but Sir William Herries replied that' he was not going to assist in obstruction.

Mr. W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) assured the House that he was prepared to assist in wrecking the arbitration law rather than allow the law to wreck theindustrial unions. He regarded clause 4 as a wrecking clause, aimed at the unions. It was intended to permit tho formation of now unions in industries where registered unions already existed. The Government ought not to encourage the employers to pursuo a policy of industrial intimidation, by using a few of the workers against, the interests of the whole body of workers. Mr Parry continued the stonewall.

The Minister of Labour repeated that ho would drop clause 4. He would explain clause 3 on the second reading of tho Bill.

Mr. T. M. "Wilford (Leader of the Opposition) considered that the Arbitration Court hnd failed, because tlie men associated with the .7udp;e understood in very few instances the technicalities of the trades in which disputes occurred. Tho (solution of the difficulty was to see that the only permanent appointment to tho Court was that of the Judgo. A second Judge should, moreover, be appointed to enable the Court to deal with the great amount of business that came before it. In every dispute the Judge should have with him.on the bench at least two men who understood thoroughly what tho litigants were talking about. • Tho report was talked out. Mr. b. ti. Smith (Taranaki) held the floor, when the time of tho afternoon, adjournment arrived. „ . ~ The Minister of Labour gave the notice requisite for tho resumption of the debate on Friday evening. THE FORESTRY SCHOOL NO DECISION YET. "Three members of the Expeditionary Force are holding scholarships in forestry in Britain," said Mr. J. M'Combs (Lyttelton) in the House of Representatives. "When those men are trained, will room be found for them in tho School of Forestry to bo established in Canterbury?" The I'rime Minister was not to be drawn on the vexed question of tho site of the Forestry School. "I havo not heard of any school of forestry being .•i Irant to be established in Canterbury, he said. "I beliove that a School of Forestry will be established somewhoro m New Zealand, but as far.as I know no 'decision has been reached." Mr. Massey added that ho -had no doubt tho three New Zealanders mentioned would be found employment in this country when they were qualified.

THE STAFF CORPS SUPEJRANNUATION ARRANGEMENTS. Tho Minister of Defence, replying to a question put by Mr. Atmoro (Nelson), said that ho' would make a statement within a few days regarding the retirement on superannuation of members of tho Stalf Corps.. It was undesirable in view of the proposed reduction in strength of tho permanent forces, that officers should remain on tho strength beyond tho retiring ago in order to qualify lor full superannuation, and tho Government was making a contribution ut £20,000 to the Superannuation. Fund to cover cases of this kind.

'i'ho Defence Committee of the House yesterday reported upon a petition of Major J. T. Boswortli, of J'alinerston North, who asked for an inquiry into the circumstances of his compulsory retirement before reaching the age limit, and for relief. Tlio report was as foK lows: "The committee is of opinion that ill vi'ow of the petitioner's services having been availed of during the term of his final leave, he should be paid an extra six months' salary." The petition of- A. L. Maysmor, ot Wellington, for compensation for losses incurred through ill-health contracted during training for war services was yesterday reported upon by the Defonco Committee of tho House. The committee recommended tho petition to tho Government for favourable considerai tion, *

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19201104.2.53.4

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 34, 4 November 1920, Page 6

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,238

INDUSTRIAL LAW Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 34, 4 November 1920, Page 6

INDUSTRIAL LAW Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 34, 4 November 1920, Page 6

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