'Masters & Slaves'

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 4, 20 January 1937, Page 7

'Masters & Slaves'

-Presa AsBOoiation.)

- 1 ■ « ^>1 | T I I - FREEZING DISPUTE Objection to Minister^s Reported Threat ALTERATION OF AWARD

(By Telegraph-

CHRISTCHURCH, J'an. 19. The executive committee of the Employers' Association is cpucerned at a statement reported to have been made by the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, that if the Arhitnation Court would not rectify the clause in the award giving employers the right to put extra men on the "chain" teams, the-n the Government would do so by special validating legislation at the first opportunity." "This award of the Arbitration Court is a recent one," sail! a statement issued by the Employers' Association executive to-day. "It iias been made by a tribunai whose ruiings all employers are forced to obey under pain of heavy penalties. When awarau suit labour they are saerosanct; when they do not suit labour, the men defy them and the Government appears to eondone law breaking. It takes no action to enforce the law and promisea that the elawses of the Arbitration Court 's awards sliall be altered by special legislation. "The words of the Minister about 'masters and slaves' and his -promises to alter the law to suit law-breakers (who were defying the law while he was addressing them) are very di'3quieting in a British community which is anxious to develop its industrial life in peace. ' 1 fhe employers are deeply concerned at this evidence of partiality on the part of the Government and considei it to be eneouragement to all thoss who would try to undermine law and order for their purposes. "Its executive respeetfully appeals to the Prime Minister tio allow no eneouragement to be given to those who would try to bring our laws into disrepute and to obtain alterations in them by foree and disobedience. It reminds him that the employers are just as vvorthy citizens as the employees and that it wiil be costly to the State in the long run if illegal clas's warfare against the employers by the employed is seemingly encouragc*! by those who make our laws and especially by Cabinet Ministers." O