INDUSTRIAL TRUCE.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1925, Page 4

INDUSTRIAL TRUCE.

MR T. SHAILER WESTON’S SUGGESTION. -AUCKLAND, Oct. 28. There is a possibility that the idea >■ a three years’ industrial truce, as advanced by Air T. Shailer Weston, president of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, will meet a favourable reception in the local trade union world. Mr Weston said that if trade union leaders would conclude a truce, to last three years, with the Employers’ Association. based on the maintenance of wages by both sides at rates fixed |,v present awards, modified where necessary to conform with the recent pronouncement of the Arbitration Court, and would see that irritation strikes and other wasteful industrial tactics are avoided, he was certain the cost of living index would be reduced at least *2O points. Mr T. Blood worth, a well-known La-

bour leader, to whom the proposal was referred yesterday, said the suggestion was well worthy of consideration fhe hist time a suggestion of the kind was made it came from Hie workers’ dde. That was when the Arbitration

Court adopted the policy of fixing basic wages and adjusting bonuses in accordance with the. rise or fall indicated by the cost of living figures. “Wo thou asked that before this policy was put into operation a national Wldusirial conference should he called by the Government to consider the whole question. Our proposal did not receive the support of the Employers’ Association then, and the conference was not held. I am of the opinion that by tailing to call that conference the Government of that day made a very big error of judgment.” J,l discussing Air Weston’s proposal, tin. “Herald” had said that if the offer i, accepted, consultation between the two parties, perhaps with the ossisl„f the Arbitration Court should lead to an undertaking acceptable to both sides. “For my part.” said AH Woodworth. “I am perfectly certain that consultation between the parties can do no barm, and if it is begun in the right spirit ’hv both sides it might, do a lot of good. Mr 'Weston, however, was expressing his individual opinion just „ s T am doing now. If the Employer-’ Association adopts Air AVeston’s views, ami issues an invitation, T would advise the unions to take pari in the conference. provided T was assured Hint it was the Employers’ Association, and not merely some few individual members of the association, more humane and progressive than the rest, who ' were just. out for an academic discus-

sion on industrial problems, and provided also that T was assured the Employers' Association was able to enforce j ls members’ reasonable adherence to am- decisions which such conferences might agree upon. Mr Weston, in bis statement, assumes that we trade un-

ion leaders have power to slop irritation strikes and other wasteful industrial tactics, and f think it is equally fair for me to assume that Afr Weston and the leaders of the Employers’ Association have power to compel the observance of agreements ‘by all employers, and to stop irritation tactics and wasteful industrial methods which are not unknown to come Iron) that side. If Mr Weston can pro],muni a .scheme by which means that real

wages - that is. purchasing power - would he increased when markets are shrinking, prices falling, and production increasing, then he would indeed have conferred a benefit upon mankind. hut these are matters which would. I take it. he discussed by the .suggested conference.'* “I may mention.” added Mr Woodworth, “that one problem wc have to deal with, u hi' h (Ices not appear lo have been mentioned by Air Weston, is unemployment. Maintaining the rate of real wages is a good thing, hut cn--niing that the worker-. "ill aluays have an opportunity to earn wages is at least, equally important.”