BOYCOTT CHECKED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19999, 26 July 1939, Page 5

BOYCOTT CHECKED

NATIONAL REGISTER PLAN DECISION BY UNIONS AUSTRA LI AN ASSURA NC ES CHANGE FOR AMENDMENTS (Eloc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. July 26, 10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, July 26. A settlement between the Australian Council of Trades Unions and the Federal Government on, the national register dispute was reached yesterday, as a result of which the threatened union boycott of the register will be dropped.

The decision was reached at -a conference held yesterday between the Prime Minister, Mr. R. G. Menzies, and the labour advisory committee of the Australian -Council of Trades Unions. Later the full executive of the Australian Council of Trades Unions adopted it.

The lifting of the boycott will now have to go through the formal process of adoption (by each State ..trades labour council.

According to an official statement, the Government has undertaken to allow members of Parliament opportunities of introducing legislative amendments to the National Register Act, though it did not promise support of such amendments. Mr. Menzies also gave an assurance that none of the Government’s powers under the Act would be used to -impair industrial awards or labour conditions in connection -with Government or private factories. Answer to Union Fears This is the Government’s answer to the union’s fears that the powers might be used in a time of emergency to incorporate private factories by regulation into the Commonwealth ser.vice, thus depriving the employees of the protection of awards. The Federal Parliamentary Labour Leader, Mr. J. Curtin, a strong advocate of settlement, urged that the unions’ efforts be concentrated on obtaining their objective by constitutional means instead of flouting the -law by a boycott. Since the dispute began he has maintained that persistence with the boycott 1 would enable Mr. Menzies to go to the country on a law-and-order issue. Mr. Curtin’s appeal yesterday swayed even the most militant objectors to the national register. The Prime Minister has agreed to extend the date for filling in the national register cards from July 29 to August 10.