REPLY BY UNIONS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 147, 3 April 1941, Page 9

REPLY BY UNIONS

RIGHT TO SEEK NEW AWARDS.

STATEMENT BEFORE COURT. (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 2. A reply to criticism levelled at unions for taking frequent proceedings for now wards was made by Mr J. Miller (employees’ advocate) when the case affecting workers in woo), grain; hide and manure stores was resumed in the Arbitration Court.

On the previous day the employers’ advocate, Mr W. E. Anderson (secretary of the Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association) had protested against the practice of unions of automatically applying for new awards on tho expiry of the old, oven though conditions .of employment had not changed, and had submitted that the Crfurt should lay down a policy in tho matter. On behalf of the Now Zealand Federated Storeman and Packers’ and Warehouse' Employees’ Union, Mr filler was seeking a new award to cover workers in stores throughout New Zealand, with the exception of Canterbury. Mr Justice Tyndall presided. Mr Miller said that in spite of what Mr Justice Sim had said in 1909, as quoted by Mr Anderson, tho award covering wool, grain, hide and manure store workers had been reviewed 11 times since 1919, and rates of pay had been varied from Is 6d to the present level. Similar reviews had been made of all other awards. Under both the Industrial Conciliation and. Arbitration Act and the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, provision was made for workers to have their wages reviewed from time to time.

£< l take it that if the legislature desires that workers should not use the facilities provided, then some change should be made in these Acts, as was done in 1932 when access to the Court was denied,” lie said. “While the facilities are there workers and employers are bound to use them.” > Mr Miller said that the union in the present case had set out to ask for a 40-hour week of live days, but that had not been proceeded with as it was realised that wool was a commodity necessary for the war effort and that hou^s, in soine industries had already been varied by an order giving the industries the right to work men extra hours at ordinary rates of pay Tho hearing of evidence was concluded, and tho Court reserved its decision.