COURT DELAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 108, 10 May 1939, Page 13

COURT DELAYS.

ARBITRATION WORK. DISSATISFIED UNIONISTS. PRESIDENT'S ILLNESS. Considerable dissatisfaction is being expressed by unionists in Auckland, and no doubt in other parts of the Dominion, at the delay to the operations of the Arbitration Court as a result of the illness of the president, Mr. Justice O'Kegnn. Tt is pointed out that not rmly are disputes awaiting hearing by the Court being held up, but little if any progress can lie made in conciliation with disputes owing to employers lieing disinclined to agree to any variation in wages until such time aa the Court lias given its decision in the labourers' eases, as the wages fixed in these are generally accepted as the basic rate. There is a dietinct feeling that the Government should act, and act quickly, in the direction of finding a substitute for Mr. Justice O'Regan during his pvriod of incapacity. Some would not object to the temporary appointment of a younger man if this would tend to speed up tlie work of the Court, while others again suggest that Air. Justice Blair might be transferred in the meantime from the Supreme Court to the Arbitration Court bench, ns he has had previous experience in the industrial Held. "Men Very Disturbed." Questioned this morning regarding tho attitude of his members to the delay in receiving the decision in the building labourers and quarry workers' dispute, the secretary of the Auckland Jiuilders and General Labourers' Union, Mr. T. Stanley, said that they were very disturbed over the position in which they found themselves. Indeed, his ofliee was being bombarded with questions concerning the matter. "We have lodged' a protest over the delay with our federation in Wellington," added Mr. Stanley, "and I understand that at the moment it ie taking up the question with the Government. The delay in the building labourers and quarry workers' case U musing further

delay to several other or our labouring sections, and the gener.il labourers' award in looked upon as the basis upon which all and even tradesmen's, wages are fixed. It may be pointed out that if any business executive is ill his businees is still carried on, but here we have an important industrial machine being held up because of the unfortunate illnese of one of its members. "Wβ don't agree with Ministerial appeals for moderate claims so far as workers' wages are concerned, unless some protection ia given the workers by a definite step be!n«» taken to prevent increases in the cost of living, which in tho past few weeks appears to have risen to new heights. Our members at present raU'ts do not average more than £2 15/ a week, and it is stupid to tell workers on such a low wages level that they should not ask for more when coets are rising so." The secretary of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Plumbers, Gaeflttere and Related Trades Union, Mr. J. Clark, also admitted that membere of his organisation were wanting to know when they were going to get the decision in their Dominion dispute. He had written to Wellington in connection with the matter, and had now been advised by the secretary of the New Zealand Union, 31 r. H. Thompson, that from information received tho decision of the Court would be available in a fortnight from Monday last. A similar reply had been received to queries with respect to the Dominion engineers' dispute, which concerned euch workers as local bodies, hospitals and mines' engineers. "Employers Holding Out." "I have a dispute rgady to go to the Court, but when it will get there heavens only knows," said another union secretary. "Kven If the president is indisposed, there should be someone found to take his place. In a lot of caees unions are asking for increases in wage*, but the employer* are holding out in conciliation awaiting the Court's judgment in some of the cases heard recently. Consequently the work of the Conciliation Councils, as well as that of the Court, is being held up at the present time."