A—7a

Numerous amendments and sub-amendments to the individual articles were also discussed at considerable length, many of the amendments being designed to extend or restrict the provisions of the particular article concerned. Members of the New Zealand delegation were concerned that the provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act regarding the registration of industrial unions might not be in conformity with Article 2 of the Convention, and consideration was given to the question of submitting an amendment designed to ensure that adequate provision might be made by national legislation to preclude the possibility of multiplicity of industrial unions. However, assurances were obtained from the Director-General's representative attached to the Committee and from the Organization's Legal Officer that the purpose of this article was to ensure that workers and employers would have the right to establish and join organizations of their own choosing without Government interference, and that any rules of such organizations, or national legislation designed to strengthen such organizations by avoiding multiplicity, would not be in conflict with the Convention. It was also pointed out during the discussion on a number of amendments to Article 3 that the Convention was not intended to be a " code of regulations " for the right to organize, but rather a concise statement of certain fundamental principles, and that States would remain free to provide such formalities in their legislation as appeared appropriate to ensure the normal functioning of industrial organizations. It followed, therefore, that formalities provided for by national legislation concerning the constitution and operation of workers' and employers' organizations were in conformity with the provisions of the Convention, provided that such legislation did not impair the guarantees granted by the Convention. The Convention Concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize as approved by the Committee, and subsequently adopted by the Conference, is set out in Appendix No. 9. International Machinery for Safeguarding Freedom of Association When the report of the Governing Body on the question of international machinery for the safeguarding of freedom of association came before the Committee, it was generally agreed that the Governing Body should be requested to enter into consultations with the competent organs of the United Nations, for the purpose of examining what developments to existing international machinery may be necessary to ensure the safeguarding of freedom of association. The text of a resolution submitted to and adopted by the Conference in relation to this matter is contained in Appendix No. 10. Application of the Principles of the Right to Organize and to Bargain Collectively As indicated earlier in this report, the Committee set up to deal with freedom of association and protection of the right to organize was also responsible for examining the problem of industrial relations, which was the eighth item on the Agenda of the Conference. This item comprised the following questions : application of the principles of the right to organize and to bargain collectively, collective agreements, conciliation and arbitration, and co-operation between public authorities and employers, and workers'organizations. The Committee found it impossible to study all these questions in the time available. It therefore limited itself to the examination of the problem of the application of the principles of the right to organize and to bargain collectively, and referred the three other questions to the next session.

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