TOO MUCH DISPUTED

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 30, 30 October 1942, Page 6

TOO MUCH DISPUTED

Court Asks Parties To Confer Again DOMINION DRIVERS’ AWARD

Though the Dominion motor aud horse drivers’ dispute was set down for hearing by the Court of Arbitration in Wellington yesterday,'there was no sitting of the Court except for ufew minutes in the. morning, during which the parties were informed from the liench that they should be able to reach a greater degree of agreement. The remainder of. the day was occupiued with conferences, and late in the afternoon the Court was adjourned till this morning without any indication being given of the progress that had been made. When the case was called the president of the Court, Mr. Justice Tyndall, said that out of 47 clauses in the-pro-posed award 27 had been left to the members of the Court to decide. That seemed an unreasonably large number of clauses in dispute. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act laid a duty on conciliation councils to reach settlements, and it was difficult for tire members of the Court to understand wliy a greater’ measure of settlement had not been reached in this case. Mr. Allenby (the unions’ representative) had almost led him to expect at one stage that there would 'be a complete settlement. In recent months quite a number of disputes, including Dominion disputes, had been completely settled by the parties, said his Honur. Wheu the parties in this dispute were previously before the Court in 1940 only-six or seven matters were in dispute, but now there were 27. He suggested that if the parties conferred immediately the matters in dispute might be narrowed down. The Court did not want to shelve its responsibilities, but thought there was ample scope for further settlement. Mr. Allerby said that when seeking a fixture fie did think more agreement possible, but the employers had not come closer to the union. Quite a number of clauses hinged on one or two points.. He agreed that the interested parties, the.experts in the industry, should settle the points, and if they could not. they could not expect the Court to do so. Two meetings of the conciliation council and two conferences had been held. The employers took tip an unreasonable attitude 1 by saying they would not give anything away, which forced the workers to go before the Court. His side was prepared to confer if the employers were friendly and conciliatory. Agreeing to confer, the employers’ representative, Mr. W. E. Anderson, said Mr. Allerby blamed the employers for the position, but the Court had made an award iu 1940 and nothing much had happened since then to justify the changing of it. The employers had great respect for the award, but Mr, Allerby came along with an amendment to every' clause. Counting sub-clauses, there were SO clauses in the award and about 60 in dispute. The Court adjourned till, the afternoon, but did not sit again and' an adjournment till today was announced.