LABOUR POLICY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1932, Page 2

LABOUR POLICY

DISCUSSED AT CONFERENCE

(By Teleyraph —ter tress Association)

CHRISTCHURCH, April 26.

The report of the Special Committee, that was adopted by the recent Open Industrial Conference held at "Wellington, sets out a general policy for the Labour Movement, and the recommendations arc to he considered by the Trade-! Unions throughout New Zealand. It i-j recommended that the Unemployment Act* he administered by the Alinistc'r-i n-Charge, and a committee of four .Members of .Parliament.

The report also recommends that a Permanent Employment Commission be set up comprising representatives of the fanners’ orgainsurious, the workers’ ogiiniwations, and of the organisations of employers controlling .secondary industry; this Commission to assist and advise the Government as to method!* by which profitable and continuous work can be found as steps towards an immediate remedy for unemployment. It is suggested in the. report iliac the workers must demand the restoration of tile 10 per cent, wage cut, also a coven hours’ day and a five days’ week, with a guaranteed weekly wage to casual workers; and that relief workers lie paid the wages current for the work at which they are employed; with sustenance payments to the un-

employed men equal to wages in the event of no relied" work being provided.

It is recommended that the unemployed workers should form a National Union, with its headquarters at Wellington.

Proposals are made for the. financing of the unemployed relief works. These are : The issue of Treasury Notes for fifteen millions; or, alternatively, a forced loan for a like amount, either to be repayable in five years. The repoit protests against the levy and the wages tax, and it suggests in lieu thereof a graduated tax on income, and other taxiis.

A most interesting section of the report recommends the complete reorganisation of the Trades Union Movement. Generally, the plan aims at the cancellation of registration under the Arbitration Act, and the development of close organisation, with general

control of supervision, in cases of industrial disputes, by a Central National Council.

The proposal also provides that the State employees represented, at the Conference, who were all three of the, railway and second division (societies, and the Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association, should have representation on the Central National Council.

It is also suggested that there he formed a General Workers’ Union to .include! the general labourers, the shearers, the harvesters, the l threshing mill workers, the farm labourers, and the Public Works construction men.

A section of the report declares that the abolition of the compulsory clauses of the Arbitration Act leaves no option to the trades union movement but to take industrial action to protect their standard of living, and' to ensure reasonable conditions of employment.