SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25178, 8 May 1947, Page 3

SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

EMPLOYERS REPLY TO MINISTER (P.A.) WELLINGTON May 7. Replying to a statement made last night by the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) on the settlement of industrial disputes, the president of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, Mr P. Coyle, said that his federation had always endeavoured to meet the representatives of the Federation of Labour on a reasonable plane and, wherever possible, had co-operated in full, realising at all times that neither organisation could be 100 per cent, right in the opinions expressed. The keynote of both parties to-day, he said, should be production, and he could Pledge his federation to work to this end. The Government had a definite obligation under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and its amendments, and Mr Coyle asked why it had refrained from taking this action. Mr Coyle contended that the Government appeared to desire to retain power to override the Court of Arbitration. The retention of the Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulations was an open invitation to the worker to strike because he knew the chances of the Minister invoking penal clauses under the regulations were extremely remote. Mr Coyle said that if he had misconstrued the Government’s intention to retain control of the Court ; of Arbitration. then the only other permissive inference from the Minister’s statement appeared to be that Ahe industrial laws of the country had completely broken down.