ILLEGAL STRIKES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 June 1939, Page 5

ILLEGAL STRIKES

' REGARDED WITH CONCERN BY GOVERNMENT LEGISLATION PROMISED THIS SESSION. TO UPHOLD ARBITRATION SYSTEM. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. An announcement that the Government proposes to introduce legislation to deal with organisations which resort to strikes in contravention of the law was made by the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, yesterday. The Minister said that the parties concerned in award proceedings . had the advantage of the Court of Arbitration as an arbitrator and could not claim the right to direct action. They had no right to both courses, and the Government proposed to introduce legislation this session settling the question for organisation that would not settle it for themselves. “The Government views with grave concern the methods that are being adopted by various organisations in regard to industrial disputes.” Mr Webb said. "In accordance with its preelection promises, the Government restored the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925, relating to compulsory arbitration, and also provided for the compulsory membership of industrial unions of workers. “It should be distinctly understood, however, that the acceptance of the benefits provided by the Government under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act necessarily implies the adoption of the machinery therein prescribed for the settlement of industrial disputes anti the unconditional acceptance of the decisions of the Court of Arbitration on matters that cannot be settled by agreement of the parties in conciliation council. "The adoption of direct action by either workers or employers is absolutely contrary to the principles of conciliation and arbitration, and the Government cannot agree that where the decisions of the constitutional tribunals are not acceptable to either party, such party is entitled to refuse to abide by such decisions and resort to direct action to attain its objective. . “Organisations must decide whether they wish to have the conciliation and arbitration system with its attendant benefits or whether they wish to be outside the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and have the right to resort to direct action. They cannot have both, and I may say that the Government proposes to introduce legislation which will have the effect of Settling the question for those organisations which will not decide the matter for themselves.” UNREST IN INDUSTRY MR HAMILTON COMMENTS ON INCREASE. <Bv Telpttrnnh—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. The serious consequences of the frequent stoppages in industry were referred to by the Leader of the Opposition. Mi- Hamilton, during the Imprest Supply debate in the House of Representatives yesterday. He said that one would expect peace in industry under a Labour Government, but the fact was that there had been more industrial unrest than ever before. Mr Hamilton said that during the past three months there had been 20 stoppages in industry. Those stoppages were now averaging two a week, and in all cases major industries wore affected. The Court of Arbitration had been a feature of the Labour Government’s policy, but the flouting of 1 awards made it practically non-effec-tive.