PIECEWORK.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19057, 20 July 1927, Page 15

PIECEWORK.

UNIONS' ANTAGONISM.

AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY

(VBOK Otm OWK OOBBBSPONDMTT.)

SYDNEY, Juty 6.

Secondary industry in Australia might bo said to be in a state of flux. Helped by a generous protectionist tariff, most trades are in a flourishing condition., Large profits are being made by most concerns with their feet firmly established and among skilled craftsmen there is little unemployment. But secondary industries are suffering from growing pains. Union leaders and employers' spokesmen seem to be continually snarling over the division or profits, and despite all the efforts of the people in charge of the Government of the Commonwealth and States, such as the. disipatch of the Industrial Mission to the United States, to assist secondary production, there still seems to be much dissatisfaction. Awards of the Conciliation and Arbitration Courts seems only to.accentuate this trouble. A few months ago the Federal Arbitration Court, after an investigation lasting several months, declared that the engineering industry could bear the added burden of a 44hours' week instead of 48 hours. There was a wailing and gnashing of teeth among most of the employers, who declared that their businesses would be ruined by the introduction of the reduced working hours. But no firm of manufacturers has gone into liquidation. This week the employees are doing the wailing and gnashing of teeth, for Judge Beeby, of the Arbitration Court, and one of the three who delivered judgment on the hours question, has just made an award for the iron trades, which provides for piecework.

The award has caused a stir in industrial circles. Facing reduced hours, for which they must pay the same wages as for the lbnger week, employers welcome payment by results as the only way in which production can be maintained if . hours are reduced. Judge Beeby expressed the opinion that one of the essentials for future prosperity of the metal trades was "the adoption of properly-aafeguarded schemes of payment by results, without reduction of the status of the earning capacity of skilled mechanics" in other

words, the introduction of the system of piecework under conditions whiou will prevent it being used for the exploitation of the workers. It is laid down that six months after the award comes into force any organised prohibition against payment by results will be deemed a breach of the award. Labour Union officials have received the award with every mark of disapproval, declaring it to be an "insult," and an "outrage," a "bombshell," and a "disgusting document." They said that every effort would be made to prevent effect being given to the award, and the men will be adrised to refuse piecework conditions. One official stated: "This departure from the ordinary practice of the Court is a vers dangerous precedent. It strikes at collective bargaining, upon which unionism is based. It will make for interminable trouble and turmoil, lne officials plainly declared that they would rather revert to the 48-hour week than submit to piecework conditions. Besides the piecework conditions, ttie award will have the effect of reorganising the industry in the following directions: (1) The prescribing of separate industrial committees for the manufacturing and general engineering sections, and C2) The reclassification of labour in the general engineering section, m view of more modern machinery.