Wage court ‘unworkable’

Press, 26 May 1983, Page 6

Wage court ‘unworkable’

PA Wellington The Opposition’s spokesman on labour, Mr E. E. Isbey, said yesterday that a revamped Court of Arbitration as suggested by the Minister of Labour would be completely unworkable. Mr Bolger advocated extending the court’s membership from three to four, the new appointee having economic expertise similar to that of the Secretary to the Treasury. He also suggested, in an address in Auckland on Tuesday, that

the court should be obliged to make unanimous decisions.

Mr Bolger said that if the court was extended and required to be unanimous, “it would place a firm requirement on all members that they pool their collective knowledge and experience and reach a conclusion that was in the best interests of all New Zealanders.”

Mr Isbey said the proposal would be unworkable because a Government-ap-pointed Secretary of Treasury could never be considered independent, es-

pecially where he could be presenting a case for the Government on the one hand and then being party to deliberations requiring a unanimous decision from the court on the other.

“Second, the suggestion that decisions should be unanimous rather than majority decisions is totally unrealistic. The four-person court proposed would ensure that decisions, if they were made at all, would be few and far between,” Mr Isbey said. “The integrity of the court and its capacity to

make a decision would be safeguarded if a majority decision requirement was retained, rather than the Ministers suggestion of a unanimous decision requirement,” he said. To be respected, a wagefixing body would have to be seen by all parties to be independent and capable of making a decision, he said. The Minister’s proposals completely ignored both requirements. Economic advice from all sources could be made available to a three-person body.