Trades and the Workers

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 452, 6 September 1928, Page 11

Trades and the Workers

-+ By

“ARBITER”

Thursday, September 6 (to-night) Thursday, September 6 (to-night) Thursday, Septembe.r 6 (to-night) • Thursday ,September 6 (to-night) Thursday, September 6 (to-night) Saturday, September 8 Monday, September 10 Monday, September 10 Tuesday, September 11 •. . Wednesday, September 12 Wednesday, September 12 The case of the Dominion motor mechanics is to be heard before the Arbitration Court at Wellington on Tuesday of next week. Mr. R. F. Barter, who is to plead their case, will leave here on Sunday night. The plastering trade has fallen off a bit and there are about 20 men out of work. This cessation is due mainly to the men having to wait for jobs to get a bit ahead of them so they may have some ground upon which to work. The glassworks at Auckland have nearly finished the additions and alter - ations to the factory, and it is anticipated that everything will be ready to go ahead in a fortnight. The additions and the installation of new plant is expected to give work to a much greater staff than at present. Opinion of Mr.* E. J. Howard, Labour member for Christchurch South, in writing in a Southern paper on prisons and kings: “Parliament is called the ship of state. Well, our ship is a ‘windjammer.’ Some day we will have a motor ship.” Apprentices The Government is going to call , a conference for discussion on apprenticeship questions, and the possible amendment of the Act. There are many little things which, require cleaning up. but generally speaking the committees appear to be working along nicely. Of course, we remember the terrific row about the plumbers—even the patient Arbitration Court got a bit fed up with that—but until there is unanijnity in the camp there will not be complete results. Here i§ a list of the Auckland trades having committees: Bakers,- boot trades, building trades, coach workers, electrical, general engineering, furniture, hairdressers, watchmakers and jewellers, painters and decorators, plumbers and gatfitters, printers, saddlers, sheet metal workers, and motor engineers. Industrial School The Government of Peru, desiring to facilitate and encourage the development of industry in that country, decided last year to found a national industrial school. At tho present time this school is providing training for the cane furniture, straw hat, wax candle and other industries. It also provides courses of instruction in hand and machine embroidery, dressmaking and several other trades. —International Labour Office publication. * * * No Discrimination The question of exempted workers under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was discussed in the House last’ week. The potted opinion of Mr. R. McKeen, Labour member for Wellington South, is interesting. No matter whether a farm or a jam factory was concerned, he said, all workers should be protected by the Act. Mr. McKeen asked why farmers should obtain special concessions by being excluded from the operations of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. There was one answer only—there was a largo majority of farmer members in the House. In his opinion farm labourers were as much entitled to protection as were workers in factories. Valuable recommendations had come from the last National Industrial Conference on the questions of unemployment, immigration and workers' compensation, and if these were given effect to by the Government it would greatly assist the deliberations of the second conference it was proposed to hold. If any amendments were made to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, he hoped they would be in the direction of removing anomalies and not affect the compulsory provisions, which, he contended, should be extended to every form of employment from one end of the Dominion to the other. Quite a Lot! Among the things which the workers .will ask at a meeting to choose Ahck-

UNION MEETING DATES

.. .. .. Plumbers’ Educational • • Tram way men's (two meetings) Apprenticeship Committee • • • Electrical Workers . . Women’s Branch, Labour Party Fellmongers Painters Saddlers Storemen L.R.C. Gas Employees land delegates to the Wellington Apprenticeship Conference is a proposal that apprentices attending technical schools should be exempt from military training and that educationists and parents should be represented on the committees in each industry. It is suggested apprentices should submit themselves for examination on completing their contracts and that certificates of competency should be issued. Another is that the clauses relating to dismissals should be amended, so that apprentices who have been dismissed should be merely suspended until their cases have been considered on their merits by the committees. It is also proposed that only those actually engaged in the trades concerned should have representation on the committees. Another matter to be discussed will be the position of boys apprenticed to firms which go into voluntary liquidation. Industrial Council A movertiont toward the establishment of a National Industrial Council composed of the General Council of the T.U.C. and representatives of the National Confederation of Employers’ Associations and the Federation of British Industries. Such a body would be able to continue the detailed examination of industrial questions that the “Mond Conference” has begun. It is also suggested that under it should be set up conciliation boards to which on the application of the parties industrial disputes should be referred for investigation and judgment before they reach the stage of lock-out or strike. The “Mond Conference” was a definite and determined effort of employers and employees to reach common ground on industrial problems and, so it is reported, much progress toward this end was made. Labour and Empire Here is British Labour’s attitude upon the question of Empire:— “It is the policy of the Labour Party to take steps which would ensure closer political and economic relationships between Great Britain, India and the self-governing Dominions overseas . . . the policy of the Labour Government would be one of continuous co-operation with the Indian peoplH with the object of establishing India at the earliest possible moment, and by her consent as an equal partner with the other members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.”

Cuts from Wages A Bill was recently introduced Into the House of Commons criming at a restriction of . exploitation by unemployment agencies, many of which were prone to collect substantial cuts from the wages of those for whom they secured jobs. The Bill restricted the commission to 10 per cent, of the employee’s salary in the first 10 weeks of employment, and made provision against commission splitting, a practice which was indulged in between employer and agency to split portion of the employee’s wage deducted in commission. —lnternational Labour Office publication. # Migrants to Britain of late the French authorities, who hitherto have shown an almost unstinted hospitality, have begun to exercise reprisals against the Tibetanlike exclusiveness . applied by Great Britain upon French subjects seeking employment, temporary or permanent, in Great Britain. It became evident from certain awkward incidents at French ports, and the danger to the large body of British bank clerks and other workers in France, that some arrangement would have to be made. This arrangement has now been made, representing a considerable tightening up of French practice and a slight relaxation of British severity. In this way it is hoped to establish greater reciprocity and keep the labour markets of both countries more or less stable.