ARBITRATION AWARDS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1929, Page 7

ARBITRATION AWARDS

OBJECTION TO PRESIDENT OF

COURT

AUCKLAND, .June 5

Trade union executives in Auckland will meet to-morrow evening to eon sider recent awards of the Arbitration Court. A movement is also on foot to ask for the removal (VF Mr Justice Fraz er as .President of the Court, on the grounds that he is chiefly responsible for decisions adverse to the workers. A circular issued to union executive states: “ The Arbitration Court has re cently delivered two awards which cal for the serious attention of trad unionists. These two awards not onl; contain provisions which are detrimer tal to tbe two unions, involved but wiF be to the disadvantage df the whole Labour movement if an effective and immediate protest is not made. The principal anomalies in respect to these awards are the refusal of the Court U increase wages by 2£d an hour to semi skilled and skilled workers, in accordance with cost of living figures and th-' introduction of the shift system, which represents an innovation, and in this case means a reduction of £1 6s a week to the workers involved. The Court also refused to limit the calibre of pneumatic machines to prevent dust and vibration. The Court awarded milk roundsmen a seven-day week ol unlimited hours to the largest section of the union, and also refused to insert the ordinary overtime clause contained in most awards. The Court has repeatedly refused to grant these workers a six-day week, in spite of our recognised forty-eight hour week of five and a half days. The general policy df the Court in recent years calls for serious consideration, especially in view of the fact that the Arbitration Court ha* been endorsed by the majority of trade unionists in New Zealand as a means df fixing wages and conditions. The two unions responsible for calling this meeting have discussed these awards and their significance with respect tc the whole movement, and are of opinion that Mr Justice Frazer is responsible for most of the adverse decisions and should be removed as President of the Court. In convening the meeting we wish it to be understood that th' primary reason -is to discuss the attitude df the Court with respect to the welfare of trade unionists generally. It will, therefore, be understood that after a brief presentation df the facts with respect to these two awards the meeting will be asked to discuss matters concerning the whole movement. A resolution will be submitted calling on the whole industrial movement of New r Zealand to- petition the Government to remove Mr Justice Frazer from the Arbitration Court.”