STRIKE RECORD

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2418, 18 April 1922, Page 3

STRIKE RECORD

YEARLY WAGE LOSSES,. OVER £90,000 LAST YEAR. In the early days of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, an enthusiastic visitor who come to observe its operation referred to New Zealand as “ a country without strikes.” Experience has shown that conciliation methods have not altogether stopped strike troubles.

The record of industrial disturbances for 1021' shows that there were 77 outbreaks, only two —coal mining and cargo, working—being important. These two industries had 9,070 workers idle at some period during the year owing ,to strikes, the total number of workers affected in all disputes being 10,433. The average duration of trouble was slightly.under ten days, and the total wage losses amounted to £9O, 332.

The previous year’s losses in wages through strikes was £40,423, so lhafc.it is evident that the difficulties of the economic position became reflected in the labour situation of last year. When times were booming, increases in pay, especially on (lie waterfront, in the handling of products carrying a high price, were readily granted, but the pinch lias come., and with it some increasing friction in the industrial sphere. Tn 1020 the wage losses through strikes in the mining industry amounted to more than three-quarters of the whole sum. The 1920 strike figures were unusually large for New Zealand, owing to the fact that such a large proportion of the railway staff went off duty for a few days. Last year’s total of over ten thousand men affected by strikes was, however, the record since 1913, when the waterside dispute sent the total of men affected during that year to 13,400.