INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25270, 23 August 1947, Page 10

INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL

WIDE POWERS OF WARTIME BODY

SPECIAL LEGISLATION REQUIRED

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.! WELLINGTON, August 22.

The powers likely to be exercised by the National Emergency Industrial Council are being discussed in the joot’es of Parliament Buildings to-day. Government approval of the recommendation that the council be set up is expected almost immediately. The council, if it exercises the same powers as were accorded its predecessors during the war, could abrogate working conditions under awards, and direct labour. Special legislations wou.-d be required before these powers could be exercised.

It is known that from at least some quarters in industrial labour Here will be strong opposition to both steps. Hn indication that the job of the council is regarded as of the utmost importance was given to-day by Mr F. P Walsh, when he said: “The econor ic position of New Zealand is graver to-day than during the war.’’ A suggestion has been made by militant anions—aggrieved by the Governmert’s pit posed amendments to tne Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act—that secret ballots should be taken arvcr-g unions as to whether emergency powers should be agreed to, espccally as they relate to a longer working week.

It is no. secret that during long adchtss.es some of the militant unionists at the committee sittings of the conference complained that the unij-nistj even now worked longer than most other sections of the commnn.ty, and one union secretary urged that land agents, of whom there are now nearly 4000 in New Zealand should be man powered into “useful wrork.”

“The wrong interpretation has got abroad about our intentions when we recommended yesterday that the Government sei up a National Industrial Emergency Council,” said Mr Walsh et the conference to-day. Mr Walsh was chairman of the production and trade committee which made the re-

commendation. “The powers of the Council which would be appointed on

oai recommendation would be similai to those held by the Industrial E ueigencv Council set up during the war years That council had equal re.A esentation from the trade union movement ana employers, with the Minister of Labour as chairman. The comniete power of the council w >s in the form of a recommendation from the council to the Minister May I say that the council played a major part in affairs of New Zealand during the war. I am confident that this council wjP accomplish equally good work if its members have the same spirit as those on the war-time organisation ’’