Use Of Law Rejected

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32321, 12 June 1970, Page 24

Use Of Law Rejected

(N.Z.I?.A. Staff Correspondent)

LONDON, June 11.

The use of law to impose discipline in labour relations was rejected by the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr T. E. Skinner) in London today.

In a speech to diplomatic labour attaches stationed in London, he said that as far as New Zealand was concerned a system had to be found in which both unions and employers had faith, and under which they were prepared to accept obligations and responsibilities.

“There is no doubt in my mind that we have got to have a disciplined trade union : movement But the system of labour relations has to be a co-operative one—no law can effectively deal with it.” Mr Skinner said he was not in favour of tying wages to costs, as some Europeans advocated.

“I would agree that costs have got to have some relativity with wage rates, but production and productivity have to have some relevance along the line,” he said.

There was a need to bring New Zealand negotiating projcedures up to date. “We’ll have to have a completely new look,” he said. Sweden had gone a long way in sharing the proceeds of industry generally, but he felt that in over-all terms the Danish bargaining system might have more to offer New Zealand. “You can’t, however, simply lift one procedure and adopt it as your own. You need a flexible system that you can mould to what best suits your needs," he said.

MR GRANT’S SUCCESSOR In an interview later, Mr Skinner said it was essential that a permanent workers’ representative be appointed to the Court of Arbitration in time for the general wage order hearing, scheduled to open on August 10.

Mr Skinner said he was cutting short his overseas tour by two weeks to return to New Zealand to discuss a new appointment. In the meantime the deputy

workers’ representative (Mr L. A. Hadley) would have to participate in other work of the Court in place of Mr Grant.

Mr Skinner, who will leave on Friday on his return journey, said the percentage rise the F.O.L. would seek in the wage order would be decided early next month. “I’ve a rough idea at the moment what we’ll be going for, but the final decision will not be taken until we have seen the cost-of-living figures for June,” he said. “These will be available early in July.” Mr Skinner paid tribute to Mr Grant.

“He was a conscientious and loyal member of the Court who looked at things objectively,” Mr Skinner said. “Archie was the predominant member of the Court and he always tried to better the wages of the lower income groups.”