ARBITRATIOS ACT

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1920, Page 1

ARBITRATIOS ACT

AIVIS.SGED DISSATISFACTION OF UNIONS. WELLINGTON, November 12. The secretaries of some of the Wellington unions offer the opinion that as the result of the new legislation, quite a number of unions will cancel their registration under the Arbitration Act. “As soon as any registered union is up against an unregistered body of men for the first time, it will cut itself adrift from the Act right away,” remarked a Labour official to a reporter. “The idea is gaining strength that unions can do better for themselves by entering into direct negotiations with employers than by conducting proceedings under the Arbitration Act. Some unions in Wellington are on the verge of getting outside the purview of the Act, for a good deal of dissatisfaction exists with decisions of the Arbitration Court. The long intervals which dxist between the final settlement by the Court are another cause of irritation. By registering under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, unions possess the right to strike and this is considered to be a powerful weapon in the hands of organised bodies of workers registered under this Act. There is talk of some unions cancelling their registration under the Arbitration Act and registering under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act.”