THE ARBITRATION ACT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20274, 27 June 1931, Page 13

THE ARBITRATION ACT.

SUGGESTION TO UNIONS TO WITHDRAW. NEW ORGANISATION PROPOSED. Cancellation of their registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, thus placing them outside the jurisdiction of the Arbitration Court, and the formation of a Dominion-wide labour organisation to co-operate "with the National Council of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour in obtaining industrial agreements for wage-workers, «is recommended to all trade unions in Now Zealand by circular* . . I The recommendation is from the National Industrial Council, which was recently set up at Wellington by a Dominion conference of trade union representatives to control any action that might be taken as a protest against wage .Opinions among Christchureh trade union officials as to support for ; the suggestion vary, and the circular! will be discussed by each union as -it meets. It is suggested in the circular that the Arbitration Court will probably impose further cuts when the unions apply to it for new awards, and that some national organisation should take the place of the Court. The circular, which is signed by Mr James Roberts, secretary to tho National Industrial Council and the Alliance of "Labour, is as follows: — Text of Circular. "Tho. last meeting of the National Industrial Council, held at Wellington on June 10th, gave consideration to the decision of the open conference convened by the New Zealand Alliance of Labour, in connexion with tho cancellation of registration of unions under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitra- | tion Act should the Arbitration Court reduce the wages v of workers during the currency of an award. The decision of the conference was as follows: " 'That, in tho event of the Court of Arbitration reducing wages or wvrseii- | ing the conditions of employment in any award or industrial agreement before the expiry of that award or industrial agreement, the union or unions affected shall be advised by the National Committee to cancel their registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.' _ ''As you are aware, tho Court ox Arbitration in its pronouncement reduced wages by 10 per cent., ind while the National Council is of opinion that th? action of the Court was sufficient to compel every union to give consideration to the question of cancelling its registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the'Court'of Arbitration/altogether, we realise that at the present time many of the unions are not prepared to take this course. , , : . "However, this question must be given serious consideration, for, if tho Court of Arbitration is allowed to carry on its present policy of wage reductions, it is safe to assume that further cuts inwages will be put. into operation, particularly "when, trad© unions arc appljine for new awards;. ■ "At the recent sitting of the Court of Arbitration in Wellington when the question of the general order to reduce urages was being considered, the employers' representative did not submit either evidence or argument which justified the Court in reducing wages by 10 per cent., or, indeed, m making any wage reduction whatever. appears to us that the Court of Arbitration received its instruction from some higher authority, probably tho Government, and its decision shows that it slavishly followed the policy laid down by Parliament in regard to Civil servants.

Adjustment of Disputes. "The Council was of the opinion that the first thing required in N»w Zealand ia some national organisation which could take the place of the Court of Arbitration, or . some representative body that would undertake the adjustment -of labour disputes and the work of obtaining industrial agreements for the unions throughout the Dominion. "The present method of industrial organisation has, of course, been established under the Industrial Conciliation and . Arbitration Act, and as this Act encourages the formation of local craft unions, thereby keeping the workers in isolated groups, it is v ery difflcult to establish an organisation of labour which can adjust all the disputes which arise from day to day and which at present are submitted to the Court of Arbitration for settlement. _ . "In view of the recent decision of the Court, however, the National Industrial Council is of the opinion that tlie time has arrived when a move should be made in the direction, first, of grouping the smaller unions into ganisations, and, second, of establishing councils in each centre t° e o-operate with the National Council of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour in obtaining industrial agreements for the wageworkers of New Zealand. "We are of the opinion that as Jong as the workers depend on the Court of Arbitration to maintain their standards of living, and indeed their unionism, we can never have in New Zealand an inßustrial organisation that can function effectively on behalf of the wageW " r The S Council, therefore, recommends all unions throughoutthe Dominion to give consideration to the question of cancelling their registrations under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and establishing the local and national machinery already referred to in order that it may function on behalf of the workers and take the place or the Court of Arbitration in adjusting labour disputes.

Standard of Living. "The Council was further •of the opinion that the majority of trade unionists did not seem to realise the far-reaching effects which the recent pronouncement of the Court of Arbitration would have on the standard of living of the working people throughout the Dominion. _ It is obvious that, if the trade unionists accept this uniust wage reduction without a protest, the employers, the Court of Arbitration, and indeed the present • Government, will assume that they are quite satisfied with tlie present wage standard. We would appeal to all unions, therefore, to commence an active campaign against the Court of Arbitration and its wage-reduction policy. It is the duty of every member of a trade union to assist his local and national organisations in the work of obtaining a higher standard of'life for himself and his fellow-workers. While the Council recognises that political action is necessary, we recognise also that in the every-day struggle we must have an effective industrial organisation to protect the interests of the workers. This can only be established by complete unity in the industrial field, and the workers/following a progressive policy of self-reliance within their industrial organisation."