Pilot industrial award urged

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33422, 2 January 1974, Page 12

Pilot industrial award urged

New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, January. 1.

An early and planned transition from the Stabilisation Regulations and the old industrial legislation is required to ensure good industrial relations in 1974, says the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr T. E. Skinner).

He says it is important that the Government make an early appointment of a president and two members of the Industrial Commission, established by the new Industrial Relations Act which supercedes the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The new legislation sets up the five-man commission. Two members will be the employers’ and federation’s nominees on the Arbitration Court, Messrs W. N. Hewitt and W. C. McDonnell, respectively. But there is apparently some difficulty in finding three others qualified and willing to serve on the commission. Mr Skinner notes that industrial relations have improved over the last few months — “but it is doubtful whether this can continue unless workers have their freedoms restored and the commission established to whom they can turn in their negotiation of awards and arguments.

“Immediately the commission is set -up, ways and means must be found to return to free negotiations in a free society. This will not be easy." Mr Skinner suggests that a

phasing-in period will be required.

“If the restrictions of the regulations are lifted at once, it will be chaotic; there are hundreds of awards and agreements terminating, and requiring renewal, when the regulations are lifted. "Unless some system is devised to set a pattern for future negotiations, the industrial situation could get out of hand.

“My feeling is that we should have a pilot award (one of the main awards) which would be negotiated under the processes of the new act, and which would set a pattern for those to follow. “The pilot award would be a basis for those to follow — it would be a trend-setter, and it would be to stop leapfrogging.” Mr Skinner says the difficulty facing industry with the lifting of the restrictions is the act’s requirement that every award and agreement must last 12 months. “Without some system, thev will all be negotiated together, and would run out together. Therefore, the need for a basis to permanent relativity. If we have that, many of the problems of old are overcome.”