The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ABE INCORPORATED The Ebening Aehos Aorning Aels and The Asho FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1922. ARBITRATION AMENDMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 22, 27 January 1922, Page 3

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ABE INCORPORATED The Ebening Aehos Aorning Aels and The Asho

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1922. ARBITRATION AMENDMENT.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the tcrong that resistance, For the future in the distar.ce, And the good that ice can do.

The threatening tone of the speeches at yesterday's deputation of Labour organisations to the Minister of Labour may be deplored, but in our opinion consideration of the new Bill, and of the arguments of the unions, show that the workers have a genuine cause of complaint with respect to the measure. The Government has an unfortunate way of handling Labour problems, their methods being conspicuous neither for imagination nor tact. Take the provisions for altering the rates of wages in accordance with the change in the cost of living figures. The Court may under the present Bill make a general order increasing or reducing wages; but the possibility of an order raising wages may for the present be ruled out. It will not be necessary for the Court to wait for an application of either party, consequently the Court may proceed to make general changes in wage rates without hearing evidence in the ordinary way. One may well ask what hardship would be involved in requiring employers to make the first move towards wage reduction. Then as a member of yesterday's deputation pointed out, when the cost of living was rising increases in wages were given according to the slowly moving six monthly average. The workers' desire -to have the wages adjusted according to the monthly figures was not granted, but now when it is a question of reducing wages the workers do not receive the benefit of a 6lowly moving long term average, but are to have their wages readjusted at six monthly intervals according to -the figures for the latest month available for consideration. There arc justified protests against this one-sided procedure. The proposals limiting the voting power of unions are also open to abjection in that they give a disproportionate power to small organisations. An alteration in the law regarding union assessors was not, so it is stated, asked for by any union. It is an attempt to limit the employment of paid assessors by the unions. There arc well known objections to the employment of professional representatives in industrial disputes; but the system is so (irmly established and has such obvious advantage that Labour naturally objects to the new proposals. Arguments wore brought forward yesterday against these changes by the secretary of the Federated Seamen's Union, and we fear that if the proposals are carried the bargaining power of the unions will be unjustifiably weakened. The Bill should be carefully reconsidered by the (Jovernment and it certainly looks as if it needs substantial amendment. The Prime Minister has laid down admirably the principles of national co-operation, but we suggest that if he means to achieve -this ideal he should treat Labour more sympathetically.