N.Z WELFARE LEAGUE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 July 1920, Page 3

N.Z WELFARE LEAGUE

DO WK WANT INDUSTRIAL PEACE?

THE CALL FOR A JOINT NATIONA! CONFERENCE. /

Piouß hopes that Capital and Labour will co-operate and work together ii: harmony are useless unless both sid translate the definite practice. The power over, our industrial affairs lies in the hands of the organisations of employers, ana of work ers.

The League' takes up the proposal, first- made by the United Federation of Labour, that the Government dll a. joint National Conference representative of both Capital and Labour. Ire Employers’ Federation says it wants a new order of relationship. It invites the individual workers to meet their employers and confer for the settling up of Workshop Committees, profit sharing schemes, etc. But everybody knows that on the average the individual worker is guided by what hi*: Union decides. Tt is the organisation that controls the situation. Wli v no; then be practical ? Face the facts as they are. Let a joint National Conference he called. Give the plan of seeking some agreement in conference a fair trial, and if the attempt is a failure we are better placed for trying other methods. The Employers’ Federation admits that there must he “fid! recognition by employers of trades’ union organisation” if its own plan is to have any chance of success. Unless we are playing with the matter and not really in earnest there are only the two courses open, out to depend oil private negotiations between the individual employers and the workers, or mi ions, taken singly, and the other plan of a joint National Conference.

We submit that the latter course is the most practical and most likely to secure some results within a reasonable time. Tho two methods are:—(l) The National method ; (2) the sectional method. ,

All recognise that with the present widespread unrest an industrial hurricane may be upon us before wo find shelter. “Let it (.nine,” says the loo''

ish one, unmindful that the hurricane is no respector of persons. If it bursts upon us, the employers and workers will both suffer severely. The idea, of melting this position on sectional linos which will take many years to work out is plainly futile. To get some results which may, even in a measure, help to solve some of our serious indu trial problems, soon, we c-an see no wiser course than a. candid Conference of the men on both sides. If the Government calls a join* Conference the side that declines to attend declares, thereby, that it does not want, (peace. We trust that neither side will take that stand, hut that ail will recognise that however much Capital and Labour differ, as tilings are neither on get on without the other. For such sound reason the National Conference is desirable.