ARBITRATION

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1812, 19 July 1906, Page 3

ARBITRATION

COMPLAINTS BY UNIONISTS,

A. letter was recently received by the W-llingtoo Trades 0 juncil from the Melbourne Trades Council inquiring whether the reports published io the New Zealand press, and republished in Australia, concerning unsatisfactory awards from the Arbitration Court were oorrect. Tbe secretary of the Wellington Council has sent the following reply to tho Melbourne Council: "lam requested by this Council to substantiate tho reports in the New Zealand press on tho dissatisfaction felt by She workers at the awards givon by the Arbitration OaurS3, and I have before me a copy of a letter sent to you by Mr W. T. Young, secretary of the Seamen’s Union, and it appears to be a fair and correct statement of their case, so that I need not deal with tho matter. With regard to the attitude of the workers generally, I may say that tbe awards givon by tho Court since Mr Justice Chapman has been president has been the cause of great dissatisfaction. At She Trades and Labor Council’s aDnua! conference hold rooentiy, a motion was submitted from the Wellington Trades Council that this Council bad no confidence in the Arbitration Court as at present constituted. Had this motion made it clear that the personnel of the Court was the cause of dissatisfaction, I believe it would have been carried by a large majority. All the epcakers expressed their disapproval of the reoent awards in strong termß, but did not oavo to vote in favor of a motion whioh might be construed into an attack on tho manner of appointing the Court or the principle of arbitration. In no case sinoe the present judge has been preaident have the unions securod any improvement on their previous conditions, and in several instances, if tho minimum wago i 3 made tho standard (and it generally is) the worker will bo worse oil than before. Several unions have withdrawn their casee from tbe Court, and publicly stated that their reason for doing so was toar of getting worse conditions than at present obtain, and numerous instances could be adduced of unions refraining from going to tbe Court for tho Binne reasons. _ Another great reason for dissatisfaction is the delay of the Court in dealing with disputes and enforcements of awards. In some oases 12 months have elapsed betwoon the filing aDd hearing of a case. I trust this will assist your Counoil to arrive at a true . estimation of tho position."