ARBITRATION AWARDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 November 1938, Page 4

ARBITRATION AWARDS

MINISTER NOT CALLING CONFERENCE. AUCKLAND REPORT DENIED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A statement contained in a message sent out from Auckland by the Press Association that he intended calling a conference of trades union representatives to discuss the issue of awards by the Court of Arbitration was denied by the Minister of Labour, the Hon H. T. Armstrong, when it was read over to him last night. The message stated that, although the date and place of the conference were not yet known, union officials in Auckland had been advised that the conference was to take place within the next two weeks. It was also stated in the Auckland message that the decision to hold the conference was the outcome of the Minister’s recent visit to Auckland. The Minister was stated to have attended a meeting of union secretaries at which a request was made for a conference, which he had now arranged. “The thing is too stupid for words,” said Mr Armstrong, when the message was referred to him. “No one has asked me for a conference, but I understand that the Federation of Labour will be calling one. That is the proper organisation to call such a conference.” The Auckland message also said that complaint had been made that there had been undue delay in the issue of awards. It had been pointed out by union officials that the number of unions and awards had been greatly increased, with the result that the court had been required to handle a very much larger amount of work.