LABOUR TROUBLES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 46, 4 December 1945, Page 4

LABOUR TROUBLES

PRESIDENT’S PROPOSALS FACT-FINDING BOARD (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 2 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Dec. 3. In a message to Congress . announcing that he is establishing a Fact-Finding Board to handle the General Motors strike and the threatened steel strike, President Truman asked Congress for per- ‘ manent machinery to handle labour disputes in important nationwide industries. President Truman said he was asking all General Motor workers to return to work immediately, and employers to proceed energetically with full production. He was making the same appeal to United Steel workers to remain at work pending the FactFinding Board’s finding and recommendations. The President said the recent labour management conference reached some agreements on a few general principles but had not agreed on the all important question of how to avoid work stoppages, thereby not attaining the objective most necessary to successful reconversion. “The history of labour relations has proved that nearly all labour disputes can and should be settled by sincere, honest collective bargaining, but in the key industries, where labour management cannot compose differences, the public, through the Federal Government, has a duty to speak and act,” said the President. He proposed upon certification by the Secretary of Labour that if a dispute continued in spite of his efforts, and that a stoppage of work in the affected industry would vitally affect the public interest, the President or his agent should be empowered to appoint a Fact-Finding Board within five days wherein it would he unlawful to call a strike, lockout or change the rates of pay, hours, working conditions or practises existing before the dispute. The President said the.board should be composed of three. or more outstanding Citizens to investigate all the relevant • facts, with' power - to 1 subpoena'individuals and records, .1 he board should report the-facts, with recommendations, within 20 days unless the date was extended by agreement with the approval of the President. The parties Avould not he legally bound-to accept the findings oy follow the board’s recommendations, but the public would.know all the facts. The President said he was sure that both sides in most cases would accept the recommendations. He believed the procedure should be used sparingly, and 'only iii the national public interest. ‘‘This is an immediate programme fair to both sides. I hope Congress will grant the powers before Christmas and will not adopt repressive or coercive measures against either side. Legislation which would stifle full freedom pf collective bargaining would be a backward step, which the American people would not tolerate. ”