LABOUR MATTERS

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17393, 2 March 1922, Page 5

LABOUR MATTERS

Amendments of the law wanted. DEPUTATION TO THE HON. G. J. ANDERSON. The Hon. G. J. Anderson, /Minister of Labour, was waited upon by several deputations, the speakers bringing under the Minister's notice a number of matters affecting the workers. Messrs J. McCoinbs, M.P., D. G. Sullivan, M.P., -and E. J. Howard, M.P., introduced the different deputations. Workers' Compensation. Mr F. J. Ellis, secretary of the Freezing Works and Allied Trades' Union, referred to the unfair treatment, in the matter of compensation of workers at freezing works who happened to get injured early in the season, when the works were not operating full time. He asked that the law should be amended so that these workers would be treated on the same lines as stevedores —compensation to be based on the average weekly earnings- over the whole season. He also asked that tan poisoning should be declared one of the diseases to which sub-section 6 of section 10 of the Act .shonid apply, and that a worker should be entitled to medical expenses, even tliough he belonged to a lodge. Mr Anderson said that he would take these matters into consideration when going into the Workers' Compensation for Accidents Act during the recess. . Arbitration Matters. Messrs C. Renn and Hiram Hunter brought several matters connected with the industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act under the Minister's notice. Mr Renn said that the members of the New Zealand Related Printing Trades' Association were dissatisfied, as were other sections of the workers, with the alterations made in the law in respect of the election of the workers' representative on' the Court of Arbitration. They preferred the old ] method. When the present deputy workers' representative was appointed the possibility that he would be called upon to take the place of the representative was considered remote. The workers considered that it would have been better, not only from the employers', but also from the workers' point of view, if the gentleman who at pre-, sent represented the workers on the Court had been appointed directly • by the workers. As regards the election of workers' representative it was suggested that the Government should call for nominations instead of allowing any union , to nominate a person, who might not have been consulted in the matter. As to tile provision in the Act, as amended last session, that the wages awarded should be such as to peimit of a fair standard of living, it was suggested, as the matter was so debatable, that it would be wise if the Government itself gave some sort , of lead to the Court. In some industrial' districts the number of workers employed in an industry was not sufficient to form a union; it was suggested that the awards 111 an adjoining industrial district should be made to apply. It was also suggested that union secretaries should be empowered to inspect wage and time books. Mr Hunter said that what was wanted in< connexion with the workers' representative on the Court was a proper system of election, and that the election should not v talie place during the holiday season, towards the end of March would be better. He urged that a Dominion Clerk of Awards should be appointed, so that matters would be facilitated in the matter of; federations : desiring to obtain Do-j . minion awards. The Minister said that when dealing with the consolidation of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration law soma kind of machinery in respect of the nomination of candidates for - positions on the Court would be provided. As to the present situation, he was not poing. into it—they were not there to discuss it. As to the standard of living, he could not see that anybody was going to do better than the Court in stating what it should be.. Certainly he (MiAnderson) was not going.to do it; it was a free country, and each man set up his own standard. The standard set up might not please him or other men. but it would be 'a standard. As to the point regarding the number of workers in an industrial district being insufficient to form a union, he had already promised to look into the matter, and, if possible, make provision for such workers. As to union secretaries being empowered to inspect time and wages books, he was sure that the Labour members knew what _ sort of chance ho would have of getting siuch a proposal through the House. There had been statements made that the officers of the Labour Department did not carry out their duties; he had asked for specific cases and if these were supplied he would go into them very carefully, and if he found that any officer had failed in his duty he would be reprimanded. He was going into the question of making provision - for Dominion awards, and already something had been drafted in the direction of providing for a Dominion Council of Conciliation. He would go into tjie matter carefully and take into consideration what they had said. , • Allegations Against Departmental Officers. Messrs R. A. Brooks, secretary Hotel and Kestaurant Workers' Union, ana R. D. Martin («jhop Assistants' Union)' brought before the Minister allegations against officers of the Labour Department of having failed to carry out their duties.' , . Mr Brooks detailed about ten mstances in which he alleged that ofncors at Christchurck and at Timaru had failed to properly investigate complaints laid against employers or having failed to comply with the provisions or awards. The general allegation was made that the chief inspectors, when there was. any doubt, regarding , a matter, always gave the employer tlie benefit of it. Mr Martin endorsed Mr Brooks s general statement. '•He cited the case of two young girls called upon to work on a holiday, and said that they were not aware that it was a breach of the award. The magistrate had fined one employer Is and each worker 103. Mr Martin said that he could not help thinking that the manner in which the case was placed before the magistrate was responsible for »different fines inflicted. _ Mr Martin also brought up the questions of clerks'. bonu3,. and of daylight baking. The Minister said, respecting daylight baking, that enquiries were being made in Australia on the subjebt. As to clerk's hours, he wanted to look into this matter. The point; that Mr Martin_ would have to meet was to show how business could be run if clerks' hours were limited. I 'Mr Martin referred to the alleged evasion of the Shops and Offices Act by parents who employed their young children in their and* cited the case of a Chinaman who thus employed his daughters. Beplying' to Mr Howard, Mr Martin said the Department was of opinion that the new Act did not prevent this state of things. The Minister said that the new Act limited the number of persons in the family that could be employed to one. Mr Martin: With a family :of Chinese it is difficult to knew which is which. The Minister, replying to the allegations against officers of the Department, said that he was really astonished that all the cases cited had not been sent in direct to him at Wellington. If they had been, they wouldi have been enquired into. All the cases mention-

Ed, and all those that Messrs Brooks and Martin had promised to send in to him, would be enquired into. He would have, a special investigation of the whole matter,- so that-they would know exactly where they stood. There would be a thorough investigation, and both officers would be given an opportunity to explain the cfiarges made against them. Very definite charges had been made, and they must be met by. the officers. H© thought that they knew tiiat the desire of the Government wafi not to side/ with one side or the other. They wanted their inspectors to do their duty impartially. The inspectors had definite instructions that the regulations were to be carried out to the letter, and »whoever was wrong—employer or worker —was to be prosecuted.