LIMIT REACHED.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14901, 14 February 1914, Page 12

LIMIT REACHED.

UNITING FOR DEFENCE

UNIONISM TOO GRASPING

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Received February 13th. 8.5 p.m.) SYDNEY. February 13.

A meeting of the executive of the Employer*' Federation discussed the industrial position, and decided that the time had come for united resistance against the continual lifting up of wages and shortening of hours. -

Tho executive has issued an important- official declaration, in which, after reviewing "lazy" and other strikes and tho flouting of awards, it says: "The failure of industrial legislation as & preventive of strikes has ne\*er been more clearly demonstrated than at the present. Unions are endeavouring, by means of sectional demands, to secure wage., and working conditions which, if granted to all grades of workers, will cripple industrial and commercial progress, and greatly increase the cost of living. The principle or want of principle on which industrial awards are based encourages unions to come forward individuals to secure continual increases of wages and lessening of honr.s. Industrial courts and wages boards apparently fail to consider the effects of awards on industrial conditions as a whole. Every concession secured by one union is used as a lever to secure advantages by other groups which probably otherwise would have no chance of substantiating their claims. An increase of pay-to one section of an industry is not a serious handicap to that industry, but it is when multiplied many time«. It is obvious that we are travelling in a vicious circle, and the Federation has reached the conclusion that the time has arrived to frhow united resistance in the interests of the general public, who, after all, have to bear the burden."

The general impression is that there i.s more in the employers' attitude than actually appears on the surface. Frequent references to the New Zealand and South African strikes indicate that conclusions have been drawn from these.