PROBLEMS OF N.Z. INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 260, 1 August 1942, Page 10

PROBLEMS OF N.Z. INDUSTRY

Causes Of Disputes DIVISION OF PROFITS AND WORKERS’ STATUS Two of New Zealand s chief industrial problems, tor which a solution would have to be found, were the dispute over the division of profits in industry, and the status of the worker, said Dr. A. E. C. Hare, M.A., Research Fellow in Social Relations in Industry, in an address at- 1 ictoria Uniieisitj College <m Thursday night on the problem of social discontent. He dealt merely with signs and causes from the viewpoint of the balancing factors in industrial concord and entirely ignored the political aspect, in order that none of bls statements could be seized upon by the protagonists of any particular view to confirm the principles to which they owed political allegiance. During rhe last 20 years in New Zealand, he said, despite the operation of the Industrial Arbitration and Conciliation Act, which lie was not disparaging, there had been no sign ot abatement or amelioration of the succession of strikes which safely might be regarded as symptomatic of widespread unrest and discontent. However, these had not been associated, at any rate not tit present, with any radi cal political theory. They were simply due to unhappiness or dissatisfaction in work. Ninety per cent, of the strikes had been over in a week, and 60 per cent, over in a day. On an average, 10,000 men yearly in New Zealand went on strike. Other Signs of Discontent. “Strikes are not the only form in which industrial discontent shows itself, though they are most in the public eye,” said Dr. Hare. ‘ Other important signs are voluntary absenteeism, a slow rate of working and a tendency to a Quick labour turnover. A dissatisfied workman, whatever the causes of his discontent, cannot give of his best at work and his unhappiness will inevitably show Itself in a failure to turn up to work regularly, failure to give a good day’s work when he gets’ there and a tendency to seek more congenial work elsewhere. All these signs of discontent indicate that the workman is not finding normal satisfaction in bis work. A constant, succession of strikes of short duration, the extent of absenteeism and frequent complaints from employers that workers do not give a good day’s work and will not stay long in any 30b, .all suggest that discontent is widespread. "The time lost by strikes each year is insignificant compared with the loss: of working time due to public holidays The whole of the strikes in New Zealand tn 1939 meant the loss of only about onetenth of the time lost by one holiday. Strikes are only important because they are a sign of underlying discontent and unhappiness. Workmen do not strike for fun, because it means a loss.of wages, thev’ only strike when their simmering discontent with their work becomes intolerable and boils over. Hie cause of unrest is not only discontent with wages. As important is the fact that the ave .V' aae workman is given little opportunity to find interest in his work, that there'is little attempt to enlist his interest and initiative and that his opportunities for promotion to more responsible and interesting positions are so few.

Dillieult Comparisons.

It was exceedingly dangerous and difficult to make any international comparison of strikes and their causes, because of different social set-ups, said Dr. Hare. Such a comparison had, however, recently been drawn by one of the efhcml Government departments, and it was easy to fall into a fallacious point of view as he illustrated. In .1939, which was a bad year for strikes in New Zealand, 62 per 1000 of strikers were trade unionists, but in England, where there was no compulsory trade, unionism the figure was, without quoting definitely, about half this. There was no reason, on statistical comparisons, to believe that New Zealand was a peaceable country so far as strikes were concerned, btnkes received far more publicity than they deserved when it was considered that the total lost in 1939 through this cause was 54,000 working days. Absenteeism vias far more important economically, ana for various social reasons it reached it. peak on Mondays. Labour turnover, the drifting of workers from job to job, could be likened to permanent absenteeism. The economic loss due to this was lery •’rent indeed. Few employers realized that. Of all the strikes that took place in New Zealand one-third were iu the coal industry, one-quarter in witter transport (waterside workers and seamen), and about one-third in the freezing industry but this did not necessarily imply that these industries were the principal causes of trouble. . V