INDUSTRIAL LAWS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 48, 25 January 1938, Page 2

INDUSTRIAL LAWS

SECOND ARBITRATION COURT. fOUII-DAY WEEK. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Jan. 24. A decision to make fixtures in future on four days of the week only, and to reserve Mondays tor consultation in chambers, was made by the Second Court cf Arbitration to-day. The Court was firmly of the opinion that such an arrangement was necessary in order to expedite the progress of business. The matter was raised by Mr H. J. Bishop, assistant secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, who suggested that the making of fixtures ior four days only would not only greatly assist tho Court to keep awards up-to-date, but would greatly assist advocates and sometimes enable them to reach agreement. • Mr Justice IJunter said the Court had discussed this matter and had resolved to restrict fixtures to four days. They had thought of keeping Friday free. Mr H. Campbell, secretary of the Federation of Labour, said they had not been consulted about this, but it seemed to him like taking 52 days away from tho work of the Court. ll'is Honour: The Court must have time for consultation. Kir A. W. Crockery, unions’ representative on iho Court: Y’ou don’t, want .us to work 60 hours while you people are working 40 do you ? Mr Campbell: Certainly not! Mr Croskery: I did not come up here to work GO hours. Mr Croskery added that the recent freezing works case had taken the Court eight or ten days to work out in chambers. “I agree with Mr Justice Hunter, he said, “that it is not a fair thing to make us sit here from Monday to Friday and then say, ‘God bless you, go and do your job ’ ” Mr W. E. Anderson employers representative on tho Court, said that another reason for allowing the Court spare time was that cases frequently took much longer than had been provided for. Mr - Campbell said they wanted awards quickly. His Honour:' You cannot have awards quickly if the Court sits five days. . We are firmly of opinion that we must take either “Friday or Monday. After the parties had had opportunity to confer. Air Campbell asked that Alonday he the free day. His Honour said that accordingly in future the Court would make no Alonday fixtures.