LABOUR MATTERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 122, 15 February 1908, Page 6

LABOUR MATTERS.

EMPLOYERS' LABOUR BUREAU,

CONSIDERED BY THE TRADES COUNCIL

-At! Thursday's meetiiig of .the Trades .Council''the .-following" circular letter, issued. Recently by the. Wellington Employers' Association, .was considered;/ .."A general meeting of employers of labour will -be held :iri the. Board ltoom of the AsMtli, at' .8 p.m., to .consider proposals';to' establish a bureau, under. the control /of - employers, 'through which all classes of labour • might bo employed." Many advantages, /would be secured by such .an institution, amongst .which'.the; following are' important. '.' , .' ""(1) The. keeping- of au index of workers; . ""Containing--Accords' -of their capabilities [ ■ and charactersavailable for. inspection ' ■ by omployers. •/ - ' .-,i i "(2) It ''is'- suggested, that certificates be : issued/to each;worker'leaving'his or her ■ .• omp:o\ T ment'by.;'their" last employer: their, : re-employment. ..will • depend upon the „ nature of the certificates held by them. I "(3j It is intended to: secure f'or employers . through, the use of the- bureau, as -com- ,./,. plete immunity-from' prosecutions for „ v breaches of . the'preference clauses of. the. ■ Arbitration Court'awards, as possible, as. it would be the duty of the .secretary of . tho bureau to. ,seo~,.that conj ... ditions were complied, with before recom- . . mending a worker for engagement. "(4) The, charges/to employers will be made ■as low;,as possible,- -consistent with efficiency. '.'(5) It is ' expected workers out of omployment. will readily 'report themselves to tho bureau; as : '.it .is 'proposed to make ! the bureau free to' them. ' "(6) All classes of workers will be dealt I , with; and if ' employers; will give the ■ ' . movement the support it deserves, tho; : ; establishment 1 of the bureau will mean ;the saving; of murih: time, expense, and i ■ ■ annoyance to them. - '. "You "are. cordially-invited and urged' to attend the; meeting, and como prepared to fully discuss the proposals.to be submitted.— Yours faithfully,. :: "AYM. A. "\V. GHENFELL, Secretary." ■ ''Tho. subject matter 'of the'-'letter did not vmoet' 1 , with the approval of the' delegates present, and there was some talk of the Association, devising schemes to defeat the ends of organised labour.-' It was suggested thatthe' CouriciTshould take-action to protect the/interests of Union labour. . -.-During, tho,course of-the discussion a delegate mentioned that the scheme embodied in 'tHo'- letter had originated- with the Licensed Victuallers' Association, which had discussed it at ;its,'.last conference,:lt was already in force; m Christchurch, where it was'almost impossible-to 'get;,.hotel - jobs except through the agency.; that.:had ..been created. The proposal, he contended, cave the employers unlimited, chances of .. ' and provided a loophole for tho defeat of tho objects of'tho preference: clause in Arbitration Court awards. • Another delegate urged that the scheme made it plain that the Unions should' fight for : the two great reforms—preference. to : Unionists- and --State or' municipal-controlled labour bureaux. -Ho, drew attention- to'the wording of Clause-; 3. ••.-,'/••. . '. Owing to ;the lateness of the hour,- tho Council had not., time -to go fully into" the .matter, and the circular was loft'to tho executive with; the-suggestion' that it should receivo- careful. consideration..