Arbitrators or Legislators —Which?

Hokitika Guardian, 6 October 1921, Page 1

Arbitrators or Legislators —Which?

can THK ARBITRATION SYSTEM SI'JJVI V K > A t)C KSTION OF INIH STHIA L FCN'CTION. When the original Industrial Coin.-i.i-aiion and Arbitration Act was pnss-al in IS!) I it was stated to b“ ‘V'l .'.cl to i'll,-mirage the formation of 1 nions.’ There call he little do 1 ! I t!:: t t’’e A.ct ha-' dune much in the way of b.-stering Cllion isitt. The first : d.'oC::..v of tie Act had probably no .on option that Kniims might he so m.-p-rage I a; to come in time to regard ill. msdves a- the Ma-ters ef the i mntiy. Deling recent times of good l ade s'voret Ininas of workers undo bted’.y caitti’ to the conclu-ion that they were strong enough to dirf’te. From being Fnions formed to protect their members partienlnr trade interests tlf'y have taken on the character of organisation to enthrone class control and propagate tin* theory and practiee of socialist, syndicalist and to a degree, communist, doctrines. This is an extreme departure from the Industrialism of the earlier period. Decent events such as the bonus question, the reduction in shearers rates of pay and the resignation of the Workers Representative (Mr .1. V. McCullough) have brought fully to light the spirit in which many of the workers V nions are regarding tlm Act. Tlmv seem to look upon it as an instrument for their special protection and advantage. So long as the Court awarded increases of pav

and shortening of hours, they would uphold it; but when, owing to changed economic conditions, the Court eeas. ed to grant such concessions to the workers it was drnonnci'd as an enemy of labour, the tool of the Capitalists and so forth. This ilennneiatinu of the Court from the Workers Unions side is added to hy some Farmers Unions and private employers calling out for the repeal of the Act because of their distinct preference for individual freedom of contract. With these attacks being made from hot h the employers .side and the woil'li ers. though only from sections of each, the question is Icing a-ked by mam. nhetliei mir In-du-irid Arbitration System can survive ? THE I FNCTION OF A IMUTK ATK )X. In our opinion a very much greater danger exists Diving to carelessness of Harliament in lending the Arbitration Court with functional duties which transcend its powers of fulfilment. To

give the Court work to do which it. cannot possibly aecomtdish is a likely method of presenting it in the light of failure, possibly to all extent which may destroy public confidence and wreck tlie whole system. At the time of its im-enlintr the Arbitration Act was designed to approximately perform these three functions for tlm common good ;

(A) ’To protect the workers hy prevention of sweating conditions and fixing of fair standards id employment (ID To prut eel the employers by settling working conditions tor stated times and giving security to the lair minded employers hy prevention of) undercutting on labour costs. (Cl To protect- the general public hy effecting settlements of 111® dustrial Disputes without the stoppages of trade and eummerei* incidental to strikes and lockouts.

That the Conciliation and Arbitration Xvr-tem has done very much durinp the last 'ld years in fulfilment of tlu’se desirable purposes every honest critic will allow. For a fairly lengthy period of time this Dominion was eompnrativolv free from strikes and lock-outs, mid" en|oyr*d conditions of industrial nemo. Tlm early W'ailii strfke and the Watersides strike of 10111 marked a rei-rmleseetmo of the fever for stopping work Much ol that trouble lias licim due to the psychological cause of perpetual teaching on tlm part of the advocates of I.WAV. and other forms of syndicalist thought. To-day it is being i'iii'tli*inl*\l in tlm campaigns of the “One big Union’' ideal; wli'eli shortly aims at placing till wage earners in one organisation for purposes of ( lass dictatorship. This propaganda Ilf a class creed cannot, in our onininn (,o met by anything the Conciliation Councils and A.rhitra t ion Court may ,1,1. as Dll' O.H.r. advocates will take all t he\' call get from the Arbitration system ami still he ready to throw (he system aside where they can dictate I,v force to their class advantage. The seel ienal and anti-social coneentioti of Class Unionism call onlv he de-dt with hv means of a eoonter "du,.„t ionril propaganda of right ideas inculcating the duties and advantages of social obligations. m a kind Tin: conn’ a I .Ft: ISLATI’ I! K. Uoth in Australia, and in our Dominion. the ( lOi'ei'iimeu t s and l atliaincuts seem to its lo have taken tin easv lo t dangerous course ol changing tlm | inlet ions of the Arbitration Courts so as IY, make these Tribunals prael'.i,.illv secondary Legislatures within the respective •uimtries From tieing |...dies formed to hear and adji'diial, on Industrial dispnlos as they arise t hi* Courts have had their powers and duties increased and extended until we lind them engaged in: (A) Laying down common Hides lot tlm Industries. (It) Fixing basic wages on the standards of the cost of living. (Cl Fixing Imniis rales on the linsi of statistical calculations ‘he cost, id' living. (0) Staling Mules for Industries in general to lie reviewed only under ext r a ordinary ei reams La ncois. (PM Fixing family standards of living and payment, in proportion of number of dependents. This policy, due we believe to politicians rinding it easier to pass the

problems on the Arbitration Court than to face the social obligations themselves, is hound to reach a climax. The Court cannot mould economic law to its will try how il may. Tn our view it would he better to let the Court revert to its simpler function of settling single disputes. As a means of expediting this work ami probably giving more practical consideration, the matter might he considered of adding .•■-srssurs to the Court fn. u the Industry with which the disp: ic I, a-sin ia t .■ I

thus combining the fnmiion- u! me Conciliation Councils and Pm tool. Net by making the ('.tut an industrial I'.egishiti'ire hut by making it a more practical Arbitrator is the system, in our opinion, likely to Is l .-1 rengtlu'ni' l and made mo-e o'-rm ■ •'!. (Contributed b.v the Welfare