H.—ll

Industrial Disturbances during the Year There were 43 industrial stoppages during the year, compared with 111 in 1941-42. These disturbances involved lost time equivalent to 26,123 working-days, compared with 45,759 working-days lost the previous year. There were 25 disturbances in the mining industry and 7in the freezing industry. Of the disturbances during the year, only 6 involved absences exceeding one working-day. One shipping dispute involved a stoppage for 4 days (7 men) and another a stoppage for 27 days (5 men). The latter concerned alleged insufficient accommodation for the crew on a vessel and was adjusted by the setting-up of a disputes committee. One dispute in the mining industry affected the Waikato area and involved 1,417 men for periods ranging from Bto 17 days. A demand that the piece-rate earnings of 5 pairs of miners be brought up to the minimum was not conceded, as it was alleged that there had been a deliberate " go-slow." The introduction of State control of the Waikato mines was an important factor in the settlement of this dispute —see the Waikato Coal-mines Control Emergency Regulations 1942 (Serial number 1942/293). Comparison with other countries is often a matter of difficulty, because published statistics are sometimes in no way related. During emergency conditions also many countries do not publish details of industrial stoppages. The following statement is based on available information.

LABOUR DISPUTES INVESTIGATION ACT, 1913 During the year nine agreements were filed pursuant to section 8 : twelve agreements were in force on 31st March, 1942. APPRENTICES ACT At the present time there are 134 Apprenticeship Committees each representative of employers and workers. Pursuant to requests by Committees, officers of the Department have made 100 special investigations during the year, while in addition 83 complaints were investigated. As a result and following the inspections of factories, &c., referred to elsewhere in this report, 11 prosecutions were commenced and 110 warnings were issued. Convictions were secured in 9 cases, fines amounting to £23 being imposed. Two of the prosecutions were against workers, the cases being adjourned sine die. The following table gives the approximate number of apprentices in the trades to which the Act now applies :—

Return showing Number of Apprentices employed in Skilled Trades April, 1943

10

Average ■vr , Number of * T , c Number of v um>or Workers in- .J 111 ,* 1 ° Working-days ear " ° volved in the , 01 (m ?" lost per Worker Stoppages. St0ppages , days lost. jn tho Stoppages. New Zealand 1910 II 49 9,293 24,082 2-7 1941-42 111 20,466 45,759 2-2 *1942-43 43 8,353 26,123 3-1 New South Wales (A 7 ew> South Wales Indus- 1940 434 227,505 1,075,714 4-7 trial Gazette, 28th February, 1942) 1941 766 344,477 912,035 2-6 Canada (the Labour Gazette, May, 1942, 1940 168 60,619 266,318 4-3 p. 521) ' 1941 231 87,091 433,914 4-9 fGreat Britain .. .. .. 1940 922 299,400 940,000 3-2 fUnited States .. .. .. 1940 2,508 576,988 6,700,872 11-6 * Twenty-five of these disputes involving 6,877 workers for 25,748 days were in the coal-mining industry, t Quoted in report of the Department of Labour, Dominion of Canada, for the financial year ending .'list March, 1941, page 15.

I Number of Trade. Apprentices employed. Baking .. .. .. 278 Boatbuilding .. .. .. 26 Boilermaking .. .. .. 41 Bootmaking .. .. .. 381 Boot-repairing .. .. .. 43 Blacksmithing .. .. .. 11 Bricklaying . . . . . . 22 Carpentering .. .. .. 1,313 Clothing .. .. .. 175 Coachbuilding .. .. .. 288 Coopering .. .. .. 8 Cycle-working .. .. .. 1 Dentistry .. .. .. 22 Electrical .. .. .. 804 Engineering .. .. .. 1,613 Motor engineering .. .. 1,181 Furniture .. .. .. 876 Furriers .. .. 1 Gardening .. .. .. 5 Hairdresaing .. .. .. 105

Number of Trade. Apprentices employed. Hatmaking .. .. .. 10 Jewellery . . .. .. 94 Leadlight .. .. .. 14 Masonry . . .. .. 14 Moulding .. .. .. 101 Painting . . .. .. 256 Photo-engraving . . .. 70 Plastering . . .. . . 96 Plumbing . . .. . . 480 Printing .. .. .. 791 Saddlery .. .. .. 34 Sail and, tent making .. .. 3 Tailoring . . . . . . 17 Tile-laying .. . . .. 1 Tinsmithing .. . . .. 175 Wicker-working . . .. 11 Wire working . . .. .. 3 Total .. .. .. 9,364