INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 31, 30 September 1912, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

REPORT OF EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION. LIST OF STRIKES. The following is ,an extract from the annual report, of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, , which body concluded its yearly meeting in Wellington last week:—-

"The wave of industrial unrest, which is passing over the world at the present time affords scope for much consideration. While it'.has to be conceded that in older countries there is room for considerable, improvement in the condition of labour, it would appear as if the remedying of these evils in New Zealand had brought us no nearer industrial peace."

The report says, also, that during the year the Conciliation Commissioners have all been kept busy dealing with so-called "disputes," and that there has been no appreciable diminution in the number of cases dealt with by the Arbitration Court. The following summary is then given of the strikes which have .taken place in New Zealand since the inception of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act till August 31st, 1912: Strikes within scope of Act ... 31 Outside scope-of AcV... •..' 35 Total" strikes i- ; - ; ].. ...■ 66 Disputes included in total ... 35 Men fulls ( successful , ... 21 Employers fully successful ... 17 Compromise ... ... ... 28 Average.d^uration „(days) ... ..12 Total* stnkers' 1 * ni * { 2596 Men rendered;idle ... ... 4723 Loss in wages, (average £6 10s) £30,382 Loss : to .Employers- , ... £40,634 Fii'ieV'-orf I strikers- 1 ::.' '*"*« : >.. 3 £T;9I7 Fines collected ... ... £1,523 Total number of strikes from year to yeav:!7Sß94 nil; 4906, 1; 1907, 12 ;lf 1908, 132; ,1909,4; 1910, .11; 1911, 15;. 1912, 11; total, 68. Of this totalj;of 66, : 42 A strikes : were of slaughtermen—practically' one sympathetic dispute spread over the whole of the Dominion. Six were within the scope of the Act, and 6 outside it. The 4907 strikes were by. slaughtermen .only.

"In addition to the strikes mentioned in the above return (the report continues), we are at the time of writing involved in 'the most serious cessation of work New Zealand has experienced since the 1890 maritime strike. It is quite within the mark to say that the strikes afc Waihi and Reef ton have cost the companies affected and the workers out of employment not less than £200,000, arid there is every indication that some considerable time will elapse before work is resumed in the mines."

"On the' subject of fthe Wellington tramway strike, the report said: — "Very general regret was expressed throughout the Dominion at the action of the council (the City Council), as. it was felt it established an unfortunate precedent if men were allowed to compel a local authority to remove an official who probably had, earned the .illwill of some of the men because of carrying out his duty to his-employers in a faithful manner. "A review of the industrial, situation in New Zealand (continues the report) shows that although [practically all the disadvantages workers 'labour tinder in Old World countries have been made impossible by the Dominion's humane and beneficient (if not in some measure grandmontherly legislation), there has; been comparatively more real industrial unrest in this country during the past year than in other countries where the same amount of so-called 'advanced' legislation has not been effected. Such a state of affairs makes the question 'Where aro concessions to end?' very apropos at the present juncture of affairs. ' There is no doubt that the restrictive conditions placed upon industry in New Zealand have bad a deterrent effect upon its expansion, and it is hoped that steps will be taken to restore confidence in the investing public by an early indication of a pause in the infliction of further burdens upon employers of labour,"