STABILISATION LAWS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27035, 9 May 1953, Page 6

STABILISATION LAWS

MR SULLIVAN REPLIES TO MR WALSH PROGRESS IN TALKS WITH LABOUR FEDERATION (N«tu Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 8. Although no agreement had been reached between representatives of the employers and the Federation of Labour on amendments to the Economic Stabilisation Act and Regulations, some progress had been made, said the Minister of Labour (Mr W. Sullivan) this afternoon, in a telephone interview with the Press Association from Whakatane. , Further talks would be held on Monday, and he was confident that agreement would be reached before he left for London on Tuesday, he said.

Mr Sullivan was commenting on a statement to a meeting of barmen in Wellington yesterday by the president of the federation (Mr F. P. Walsh). Mr Walsh was advocate for the Hotel Workers' Union in its conciliation negotiations with the employers. He said he had refused to take the dispute to the Court of Arbitration because, under the Economic Stabilisation Act and Regulations, the Court could not give adequate consideration to the worker?’ claims.

Asked if he thought an agreement on the amendments to the act and regulations would affect the barmen s action, Mr Sullivan said he did not know. “If the federation stands for arbitration and conciliation, as it says it does, then it should take its claims to the Arbitration Court,” he said. Mr Sullivan said he had been surprised to read Mr Walsh's statement. “Mr Walsh has apparently overlooked the fact that, at the specific request of the Federation of Labour, the Government amended the Economic Stablisation Regulations in December last, by removing the obligation placed upon the Court to have regard to the general purpose of the Economic Stablisiation Act when making or amending awards,” said the Minister. “Since that amendment was made, there is absolutely no restriction placed upon the Court by the Economic Stabilisation Regulations in carrying out the Court’s normal functions of award making. “In view of the present legal position,'' said Mr Sullivan, “I would now assume that Mr Walsh would agree that the proper course to follow is for the hotel workers' dispute to be referred back to conciliation, thereby carrying out the principles of conciliation and arbitration as announced by the Federation of Labour."