EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9097, 25 May 1908, Page 7

EMPLOYEES' ASSOCIATION.

The following is the annual report ot the Wairarapa Employers' Association, to be presented to the meeting of the Association on Thursday next: During the year just closed perhaps the most important matter the -Association has had to deal with has ? hcen the general labourers' dispute. "When the citations in this dispute • were issued, the Association called ■'together representatives of the local ; ibodie« and ether employtrs inieres'»ed, and at the meeting it was decided *to tak* the dispute direct to the Arbitration Court, and to employ Mr 'Wm. Pryor, general secretary of tl e Federation, to represent •the employers. This dispute is now ; before the Conciliation Board, but the employers are not there represented. J|| The shearers' dispute also engaj-) .ed in its earlier stages the attention i of the Association, but this matter ' -was taken up ly th<) Farmers' Unioi, and confertnees between emphyj. s and shearers enabled a satisfactory agrewment to be arrived at. Other minor dHnutes have engaged attention, and some are still being watched by Che Association. It has become abundantly clear to .your association, in all the labour disputes it has had to deal with, that in no case Ims there been dissatisfaction, nor has any dispute arisen in Wairarapa, but in all cases the -labour disputes have arisen with a group of agitators in the ciiks. Finding this to be the case, the Association has endeavoured to bring about a separation of Wairarapa from Wellington, aid will continue to move lor this purpose, satisfied that if this separation were elected there would be an end to labour disputes in this district. The Holidays Committee has met twelve times during the year to «deal with holiday questions. It has now Lecome a recognised thing that all matters relating to holidays must first be referred to this Committee, and a recommendation be made by it before they can be dealt with. An amendment to the Factories Act was passed last session, by which (ill a requisition cf not legs than one-tenth cf the electors, a poll could be taken by the local authority that the factory holidayfjbej£he!d on the same day as the shop "and offices holiday. Very much inconvenience and loss was occasioned to many persons who have shops and factories combined by being compelled to give part of their work-people holiday on Thurs4 day and nart on Saturday. To obviate this, the Association set about übtaining the necessary signaturessome two hundred and fifty—to a requisition, and the Borough Council,, on that requisition, took a poll, which was carried by a large majority, in favour of holding both holidays on Thursday. This affects shops and factories combined, and does not affect workers under an award. The balance-sheet herewith shows a small balance of liabilities over assets. This, however, could be got over if all members would pay their subscriptions promptly when due. | The subscriptions have purposely been made as small as possible to enable every employer to become a member, and the fact, daily forced on our notice, that the Labour Unions -are growing in strength and, engineered by agitators, are becoming more imperative in their demands, H is aufficiept to show the urgent need of employers uniting for their own protection.