TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 187, 7 August 1913, Page 8

TRADE AND LABOUR NOTES.

[(By. "INDUSTRIAL TRAMP.")] UNION MEETINGS FOB THE WEEK. This Evening August 7—Farriers, Bollcrmak™ Hotel Employees, Stonemasons, Curriers, Nurserymen. -i_«i«.«»« Fritlnv August- 8— Brewery Employees, BriclbayVrSV Labourers. Furniture Trades. Saturday, August Si—Flsb Carers. Monday, August 11-Gumworkcrs, ralntcrs, Rattan and WleWcrworfcers. Tnesday, August I 12-Ceatral Carrentcrs, Wcd'ncsaa^ - Augost 13-Cns Employees, W rtni"ntSs' Aggregate, Wcstflcld Chemical Workers (Otabnhu). Tho Industrial, Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Act, 1013 1), has passed its second reading in tno legislative Council, and as mm « » receives the Governor's assent it will come into force. This will validate such awards as have been concluded under the amended Act of 1011, such as tho Auckland coach workora, shirt nnu whlto workers, Ash curcra, rattan ana wicker workers, and others, and the Act licing made retrospective, the awards concerned will olbo bo retrospective, and the increases of pay agreed on by tho parties will have to ho paid from the time on which the awards were timed to come Into operation. Tho Industrial, Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Act, 1013 (No. 2), hnfl not yet been made public, but is likely to bo circulated during tho next week or two. Until then we have no dceisivo information a* to what new features will ho put forward by the Maflscy Government, There is little to report this week concerning the attitude of the unions towards cither the United Federation or Labour on tho one hand, and the United Labour party on .tlio other. Both sections of tho great Labour party are being weighed in the balances of the unions, some of tho organisations being in no hurry to come to nny conclusions as to which, they will join, while some aro inclined to hold aloof from both, and conserve their independence until they sco "which way the cat jumps." The Auckland Grocer*' Assistant!.' Union received the report of its delegate to the Unity Congrr/ss at iU monthly meeting on Monday Inst, but considered the matter too extensive to he dralt with on the same evening. It was therefore decided to call a special meeting for Monday Iwcek, the 18th inst., at which the report of the delegate and the position of the union with regard to the rival organisations will bo fully discussed and determined. The Aueklnnd Hotel and Restaurant Employees' Union will rcccivo its delegates' reports thi.j evening. The Auckland Ccrtificatea Engine-drivers' Union last Thursday evening had a report from the secretary, Mr. T. Cain, who was its delegate to the Congress, but, after somo discussion, resolved to defer the matter for three months. Tho | Auckland Fellmongcrs' Union had a like bill of fare for dkicufsion at its last meeting on July 30th, but no action was taken as to whether the union would join the new organisation or! not. All the unions are of opinion "that tho question is a very weighty one (no pun intended), and that the matter of affiliation should not bo rushed into "lightly and unadvisedly." Tho question of finance is a very serious one, mid will necessitate in some unions Either a levy or a raising of ithe contribution from 3d. to (kl. per week. Another serious matter is that unions affiliating with the new organisation part with a pood deal of their right to sclf-gbvcrnraont. For instance, no union will ho able to conclude an agreement with the] employer* without first of all submitting the terms of- claims, and settlement! to the federation executive. Further, balnncc-.-'hcet.s hnve to be submitted tb the national executive, and, if required, tha books of an affiliated union must be open to an audit by the executive. With all these probabilities in view) it is small wonder that cautious unionists arc hesitating to commit themselves one way or the other until they have had time to consider (he pros and cons of their notion. Far better to take time to consider as to what is iho right course to pursue than to rush in headlong to the Federation, only to make hn equally headlong rush to get out when the pinch comes, like tho Tramway Union did some time ago. In the South the Canterbury unions nre the most solid in the Dominion for tho new organisation, and I notice in tho "Lyttclton Times" a manifesto signed by upwards of 30 delegates to the Into Unity Congress, representing stevedores, fcllmongors, agricultural workers, drivers, metal workers, engine-drivers, . musicians, typographical, tailors, moulders, labourers' unions, repudiating statements made by the Hon. J. T. Paul and Mr. David McLaren in their recent circular.! "circulated amongst tho unions, and published in tho Press, to endeavour to discredit tho findings of tho Congress, and thus prevent the consolidation of the Labour movement. Wo sincerely regret that gentlemen, hitherto held in high esteem in the Labour movement, should attempt, by making stalemcnis which aro contrary to fact, to discredit tho work of tbo Unity Committee," After dealing trcncliairtly with Mr. Paul's statements, the manifesto concludes: "As for Mr. D. McLaren's circular, it I* an insult to the intelligence of the delegates present at itho Congrcßs and tho workers whom they represented. Jj carries its own condemnation, and there requires very little to bo said about a gentleman who, whilst a member of the executive of the United Labour party, acted as a traitor to his own parly by Issuing a fresh 'basis of unity' without consulting <tho organisation to which ho belonged, and publishing the same in tho public Press, without being nnthoriscd to do so, for tho express purpose of creating dissension prior to tho assembling of tho Unity Congress." The Shops and Offices Act Amcndmont Bill is e-till beforo the Labour BilU Committee, and Mr, T. Long is at Wellington watching the progress of the bill on behalf of the Auckland Hotel aad Restaurant Employees' Union. Evidence, rrom butchers affected by the proposed neasure is to bo taken on Friday, and Mr. W. E. Sill loft for Wellington last light to represent his union. Tho atcst date fixed so fir for tho grocers' lection is Tuesday, tho 10th inst. Mr. J. Clark, workers' representative >n the Plumbers' Board, is nt present n Wellington] attending a board meetOS-