Co-operation on bill

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32430, 17 October 1970, Page 23

Co-operation on bill

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 15.

Labour Party co-operation continued tonight to help the passage of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill through Parliament.

In its committee stages, the principles of the bill were generally endorsed by Opposition speakers, although some had reservations about its effectiveness, and said it did not remove the basic causes of troubled industrial relations.

The bill establishes procedures for the settlement of industrial disputes through a model disputes clause, provides for the appointment of industrial mediators, and allows the updating of awards to incorporate ruling rates. Mr S. A. Whitehead (Lab., Nelson)' asked how the Government planned to remove the underlying causes of industrial unrest, which he said were mainly economic. He hoped the Government was not relying solely on this bill to correct the present industrial situation. Sir Leslie Munro (Nat.,

Hamilton West) said improved co-operation between employers and employees was needed. Virtually every member of the House wanted to see strong employers’ organisations and strong unions. A major problem was how to create strong unions which could control a dissident and irresponsible minority. Sir Basil Arthur (Lab., Timaru) said that since there were doubts about the ability of the Government to deal with the challenge of constantly-rising prices, there must also be doubts about the bill giving rise to the maximum possible industrial harmony. Mr M. A. Connelly (Lab., Wigram) said the bill changed nothing which controlled the basic causes of industrial unrest—economic factors outside the bill. The bill aimed at resolving industrial unrest, but would not resolve the underlying cause—the maldistribution of the national wealth. Mr W. L. Young (Nat., Miramar) said the bill had achieved a lot in reconciling two opposing points of view. It was a positive step towards dealing with industrial problems. The Minister of Labour (Mr Marshall) said the bill was the Government’s answer—in so far as legislation went —to the problem of industrial unrest. The bill was put through its committee stages without dissension and, for the second successive night, the House adjourned a few minutes before the normal time of 10.30 p.m.