THE REAL INDUSTRIAL BOSSES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 38, 8 November 1937, Page 4

THE REAL INDUSTRIAL BOSSES

Wkilo on tke subject of industrlial legislation lt may not be out of tbe way to euggest tbat in tbe opinion of tbe( very great majority of the people of tbis country, including probabjy most members of tbe lawabiding trade unions, it« is very much past time tbat tbe Government sbould miake some decided move to cneeK tbe readiness witb wbieb resort is taken by trade uniomsts to direct actxon in order to secure xemedy for even tbe most trifling grievances, many of tliem entirely ill-founded. . ■ It is certainly very little to tbe eredit of a Government tbat projnised to to bring satisfaction and oontent to tbe manujal workers o,f tbe country tbat during its sbort regimo tbere bave been many more strikes and hold, - ups tban prpbably during any like period since tbe principle of compulr sory arbitration was fisrt brougbt into effect. Of tbe great miajority of these dislocating movements, so inimical to tbe industrial life of tbe country, the Government bas elected, to take no notice wbatever, and in ptber oases wbere tbere bas been ministerial intervention it bas almost invariably taken sbape in sueh a way as to encourage ratber tban to deter further recourse to tbem— as, for instance, in. tbe case of tbe "stay-in" strike of tbe Auckland freezing workers, wbicb threatened serious loss to tbe farmers of thatf district, averted only by tbe Minister giving way incontinently to tbe demands of tbe strikers. Nor, tbougb perhaps attnacting less public notice, was there very mucb difference in tbe strike among tbe same body of unionists tbat was staged, again at Auckland, witbin tbe last week or so, On a complaint, wbicb tbe management of tbe Farmers' Freezing Coy. concerned avers bad no reial foundation wbatever, tbese unionists abandoned some bundreds, probably tbousands, of pounds' wortb of blgbly perisbable farm produce to tbe mercy of tbe open air. By their action tbey also beld up for two or tbree days tbe loading and departure of no less tban three ocean-going freigbt carriers, tbus not oniy occasioning an aggregate loss tbat prpbably ran into tbousianda but also throwing timetables at other ports completely out of gear. And yet a Government tbat makes sucb loud profossion of having tbe farmers' interests so closqly at beart bias seeiningly no single word to say about it, mucb less take any steps to discipline tbe offenders, who were no doubt emboldened to tkeir own action by tbe result of tbe earlier strike. Tbey, on tbeir part, bave resumod work, witbout further apology or oxplanation, and tbat apparently is the last we are to hgar about it, probably with tho result that tbe dose will be repeated wbenever anotber occasion offers. How busy would tbe Labour Office bave been bad tbere . ben any corregponding action on. tbe part of tbe company thiat affected tbe interests of tbe unionists ? Or is it any wojider tbat tbe conviction- is steadily growing tbat tbe Government is very mucb afraid of tbe power of tbe unions, wbo seem to be tbe roal bosses of otir industrial activities? Wbat will tbings be like wben tbe l^ig Federation comes into tbe field to boss tbe unions?