COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.

Auckland Star, Issue 17, 21 January 1932, Page 6

COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.

The suggested amendment of the Industrial ■ Conciliation and Arbitration Act to make arbitration optional will bring about a deplorable state of affairs. Small unions who now look to the Arbitration Court for fair and impartial treatment will be obliged to accept tlie employers' terms as offered in the Conci'.wtioi! Court, or go without an award or industrial agreement. Individual in place of collective bargaining will follow, and in selfdefence the smaller unions registered under the Act will be compelled to deregister and *i; amalgamate with the larger organisations on industrial lines. The destructive strike weapon will be nse<l when large industrial organisations arc affected and the Arbitration Court will be obsolete. The Government has no mandate from the industrial centres to interfere • with the Act, and* several Nationalist members'. during the election promised to vote against the proposal. If the employers' slogan,y, v "Compulsory conciliation and voluntary arbitration," is embodied in the Act and existing awards cancelled, tlio Government will be responsible for the consequences. • H. J. SHEPPARD, Secretary, Auckland Tallymen's Union.