H.—ll.

INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION ACT. Work done under the Act during the Year, 1935-36. Industrial agreements filed .. .. .. .. 36 Awards of the Court of Arbitration .. . . 65 The awards and industrial agreements actually in force on the 31st March, 1936, total 417 (last year 404). One of the 36 industrial agreements referred to above has since been declared an award by the Court of Arbitration. Work performed by Commissioners and Councils of Conciliation. Industrial agreements made under section 28 of the principal Act .. 30 Industrial agreements made under section 5 of the Amendment Act of 1932 .. .. .. .. .. .. . . 6 Disputes where recommendations were substantially accepted or agreements reached and referred to the Court to make awards .. 69 Disputes where no settlement was arrived at .. .. 21 Section 7 (4) of the 1932 Amendment Act, now repealed, provided that where a settlement of the dispute had not been arrived at by the Council of Conciliation appointed for the hearing thereof every award or industrial agreement theretofore binding on the parties to the dispute in connection with the industry to which the dispute related ceased to be in force on the expiration of one month from the date of the Commissioner's notification to the Clerk of Awards that no settlement of the dispute was arrived at. Under this provision failure to reach a settlement in the 21 cases mentioned above resulted in the cancellation of 7 awards and industrial agreements, the principal cause of failure being the inability of the parties to agree on the wages to be paid. . Inspections, etc. During the year 2,854 complaints of alleged breaches of the Act and of awards and industrial agreements, &c., were received, but it was found on investigation that in 822 cases no breach had been committed. In 270 cases proceedings were taken, and in 1,582 warnings were given. No action was considered necessary in the remaining cases. Apart from the complaints mentioned above, a large proportion of the inspections of factories, shops, &c., included an inspection to ascertain whether the awards and agreements were being complied with in respect of wages, overtime, &c., and, as a result of these inspections, 87 prosecutions were taken and warnings were given in other cases. Of the 357 prosecutions, 310 were against employers and 47 against workers; 304 convictions were recorded, 262 against employers and 42 against workers. Total penalties, £551 ss. Registration of Industrial Associations and Unions. The usual statutory return (to the 31st December, 1935) of the associations and unions registered under the Act, with their membership at that date, is published herewith as an appendix. Comparison with the previous year shows that the total number of workers' unions has decreased by 6 (to 410) and the total membership has increased by 6,538 (from 74,391 to 80,929). Industrial Disturbances during the Year. There were in all twenty industrial disturbances during the year. In no case was it considered necessary to take proceedings. The following is a summary of the more serious stoppages:— Coal-miners, Wesiport.—The refusal of the management to appoint the union's nominee to a vacant position resulted in 278 miners in the Westport district ceasing work. As a result of a conference the men returned to work after thirteen days' absence. Gold-mine Employees, Waihi.—A dispute in regard to wages in the Waihi district came to a head in a strike after the formalities prescribed in the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913, had been followed. Four industrial unions with 664 members were involved, the cessation lasting seven days and a half. An agreement giving increased remuneration was arrived at as a result of a conference convened by the Hon. the Minister of Labour. Gold-miners, Waiuta.—Demands for increased wages were made and the miners at the Big River Mine ceased work. Thereafter an agreement restoring previous cuts was entered into in respect of this mine. At the Blackwater Mines similar demands had not been conceded at the end of the year but no actual strike occurred. Coal-miners, Westland.—Two hundred and thirty miners ceased work as a protest against the dismissal of a worker for alleged disobedience. The case was referred to an arbitrator and work was resumed after five days. Boatbuilders, Auckland.—Desiring increased wages, about one hundred workers in the boat-building trade ceased work at Auckland. Their demands were substantially conceded, and they resumed work after twenty-two days. The terms and conditions agreed upon were referred to the Arbitration Court to be embodied in an award.

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