PIECEWORK

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1927, Page 4

PIECEWORK

SYDNEY. July 6. Secondary industry in Australia might be said to be in a state of flux. Helped by a generous protectionist tariff, most trades are in a flourishing condition. Large profits are being made , by most cone eras with their feet firmly established and among skilled craftsmen there is little unemployment. But secondary industries are suffering from ( growing pains. Union leaders and emj plovers’ spokesmen seem to be con- [ tinuai’iy snarling over the division of I profits, and despite all the efforts of the people in (barge of the Govern- ■ incut of ' the Commonwealth and I States, such as the dispatch of the Industrial .Mission to the United States, to assist secondary production, there still seems to lie much dissatisfaction. Awards of the Conciliation and Arbitration Courts seems only to accentuate this trouble. A few months ago the Federal Arbitration Court, after an investigation lasting several months declared that the engineering industry (mild bear the added burden of a 44honrs’ week instead ol 48 hours. There was a wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst most of the employers, who declared that their businesses would bo ruined by the introduction of the reduced working hours. Bui no firm of ninmilacturers has gone into i’iquidntion. This week the employees arcdoing the wailing and gnashing of teeth, for Judge Booby, of the Arbitra lion Court, and one of the three who tleliv erod judgment on the hours question, has just made an award for the iron trades, which provides for piecework.

The award lias caused a stir in industrial circles. Facing reduced hours, for which they must pay the same wages as for the longer week, employers welcome payment by result as the only way in which production can he maintained if hours are reduced. Judge Beebv expressed the opinion that one ol the essentials for future prosperity ol the metal trades was

"the adoption ol properly-safeguarded schemes of payment by results, without reduction of the status of the earning capacity of skilled mechanics ”. . . iu other words, the introduction ol the system of piecework under conditions which will prevent it being used for the exploitation of the workers. It is laid down that six months after the award comes into force any organised prohibition against payment by results will Be deemed a breach of the award.

Labour Union officials have received the award with every mark of disapproval. declaring it to he an "insult,” and an "outrage,” a "bombshell,” and a " disgusting document.” They said that every effort would he made to prevent e/feet being given to the award, and the men will he advised to refuse piecework conditions. One official stated : "This departure from the ordinary practice of the Court is a very dangerous precedent. it strikes at collective bargaining, upon which unionism is based. It will make for interminable trouble and tourmoil.” The officials plainly deci’ared that they would rather revert to the 48-hour week than submit to piecework conditions.

Besides the piecework conditions, the award will have the effect of reorganising the industry in the following directions: (1) The prescribing of separate industrial committees for the manufac-

turing and general engineering . sections, and (2) The reclassification of labour in the general engineering section, in view of more modern machinery.