Organised Labour

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16043, 27 October 1917, Page 8

Organised Labour

"No working-class organisation with " a semblance of backbone, or the " slightest knowledge of their position, " would subscribe to an organisation " ono of whose objects was to promote "a good understanding between the "employers and employees." This statement by one of the leaders of organised Labour ih tliis country, quoted by Mr T. S. Weston in his presidential address at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, held in Wellington this week, unfortunately expresses very accurately tie character of the New Zealand Labour movement. The famous Red Fed "preamble" Sxptessed the same sentiment in its' blunt' assertion that thti tforkerS and employers "have noth- " ing in common," and sti loflg as this pernicious doctrine is accepted fey organised. Labour, so' loiijr will there be a fatal barrier to the realisation of a happy tod efficient society. One of the first corollaries of the Syndicalist proposition is • the right of organised Labour to break its and this right has been expressly affirihed fey various Labour leaders. The public will be pertaps, to learn til at even during the past year, when there, has beein less industrial disturbance than in many preceding years, there have been some, bad cases of fei-okon pledges on the part of Labour organisations. The strike of seaffien ih the Wjcllitigtoli "rrickquito" fleet is mentioned by Mr Weston as oho such tiase. The strike tdok place in defiance of aii agreement in whicH that very point was settled upon which the strike was based; The case of the waterside workets is also mentioned. These men, when ah agreement was drawn up in April undor which they received substantial Concessions, undertook, through their leaders, that friction would cease anil that the employers would receive "a square deal." Yet they did not hesitate to boycott a steamer arriving from Australia tfitk transhipments urgently required. Incidents like these could hardly fail to impress upott cfliployers the inipossi-. bility of depending upon peace while the leadership of Organised Labour is in such bad hands. The conclusion arrived at by< the President of the Employers' Federation is that "if labour "ahd capital in New Zealand are to bo " drawn close to each other after the " war, then each side must banish from " its leadershio and executives men of

"extreme and intolerant views." There arc employers whose conception of the relations between themselves aUd their employees is as odious as that of tho Syndicalist leaders, but circumstances ha.ve prevented employers of this kind from exercising any influence in the politics of industry. Some thoughtless people are inclined to listen to the Labour extremist by the mere fact that the employers' organisations are unwilling, as a rule, to grant the demands put forward by the unions. In many cases it would bo easy for the employers to concede all the demands of the men, and to pass the cost od to the oiiblic. But all- rational employers know that this policy would in tho long I run. be disastrous to tho community as

a whole, including themselves and the workers with whom they conspired to flceco the consumer. The public's interest in labour disputes is clearly put by Mr Weston when he says: —

"Large increases in wages have been granted during the year, and this lias been one of the factors which has led to the increased cost of living. This increaso is pressing hardly upon the general public, and it is high time that they should realiso that they are the people most directly interested in these wages disputes.. . . Once the general public realises that the employer in refusing an increaso of wages which will be paid by the consumer and not ./jut of his profits, is really protecting the public, newspapers and their Teaders will hesitate to speak of capitalists' greed, intolerance, and lack of generosity to their men. If not, then the employers in the future will fincf it easier to give way to the men and earn a cheap reputation for generosity at tho expense of a blind public. . It is for the public to choose."

When the war is over, and we have to face the unknown problems of the future, we shall need all the commercial and industrial efficiency of which, as a community we are capable, and one essential condition of efficiency is the establishment of good faith and reasonableness in industry. This is a fact which cannot bo too often emphasised, and it is the more necessary to emphasise it in that there is still no sign that the rank and file of organised Labour are beginning to realiso the need for now leaders and saner doctrines in the Labour movement. .