POLICY FOR LABOUR

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 208, 27 April 1932, Page 5

POLICY FOR LABOUR

(Press. Assn.—

COMMITTEE'S; REPORT FIVE DAY WEEK, SEVEN HOUR DAY AND RESTORATION OF WAGES CUTS ONE BIG UNION PROPOSED

-By Telegraph— Copyrlght).

CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The repqrt of the special committee appointed by the recent Open Indusr trial Conference held jn Wellingten sets out a generai pollicy for the Labour movement. The recommendations are to he considered by trades unions throughout New Zealand. Ilt is recommended that the Unemploynient Act should be administered by the Minister in Charge of a committee of four members of Parliament. , It i^ also recommended that an pnemployment commission be set up, representative of farmers' organisations, workers' organisations, and qrganisations of employers controlling secondary indus'tries. This commission is tp assist and advise the Government as to methods by which profitable and continuous work could he

found as steps toward the immediate remedy of , nnemployment. It is suggested that the workers must demand the restoration of the ten per cent. wages cut, a seven hours day and a five day- week and a guaranteed weelcly wqge for casual work ers. Relief workers are to be paid the wages current for the work on which they are employed, with sustenance payments to unemployed men, equal to wages, in the event of no relief work being 'provided. One National Union It is recommended that the workers should form a national union with headquarters at Wellington, and proposals are made for the financing of unemployed relief work by the issue of Treasury notes for £15,000,000, or alternatively, a forced loan for" a like amount either to be repayable in five years. Th'e 4-eport protests against the levy onwages tax and suggests in lieu a graduated tax on incomes and other wages. The most interesting section of the report recommends the complete reorganisation of the trade unions movement. The general plan aims at the cancelation of legislation under th Arbitration Act and the development of a close organisation with general control or' supervision, in case of industrial disputes, by a central national council. One proposal is that State employees represented at the conference, who included all three railways organisations, and the Post and Telegraph Officers' Association, should have representation on the central national council. It is also suggested that there should be formed a general workers union, to include general labourers, shearers, harvesters, threshing-mill workers, farm labourers and Public Works construction men. A section of the report declared that the abolition of the compulsory clause of the Arbitration Act leaves no option to the trades union movement but to take industrial action to protect their standard of living and ensure reasonable conditions of employment.