NEW INDUSTRIAL COURTS

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 154, 24 March 1908, Page 9

NEW INDUSTRIAL COURTS

MR. WADE'S SCHEME. EXPERT BODIES IfOR EACH CLASS OF ' TRADE/ Jlio' big;'departure from the ' Arbitration Court.!principle which is comprised ,in, : tho New, South Walos Industrial Disputes Bill; introduced' by tho Premier (Mr. Wade); ;is attracting wide attention. 1 , Tho ; chief, provisions of the Bill'are:—: , . .MANY INSTEAD; OF -ONE.- .vf ; ■ Instead "of one Arbitration Court, for the Ivvholo St'fitr.. tlierp'. shall bo a number .of boards /.to'. fix rates ..of wages, 1 ; regulate '..conditions/of labour, and'proscribe'them. ; Though" ; the' Arbitration' Court •is to he abolished,, all .awards made bv : it. aro. protected and kept binding for -the pterin., for which ; they were originally. made, and provision is' nlado for. tho continuity of Arbitration' 1 Court orders. • .' Industrial unions, registered under the Actf shall still registered, and the 'Registrar shall'" have power to register unions under this Act,; or to cancel registrations if he think "fit. ■' : If a registration is cancelled, .the cancellation will not'..affect any engagements made while the registration was in force.. ' Boards may -bo' brought' into oxistonce by tho .Minister';' upon the application . of- employers employing not. less " than -lp employees, or 011. tho 'application' of' 11'ot less than 10 oniployecs/or-bf a trades union; or of ah industrial-union of employers or employees. The Minister may .also", if lie see fit,. di; roqt;a hoard to be constituted:without any application from such bodies; ''/■'/' CHAIRMANSHIP OF BOARD. ■' Each .board i sfi'all have a chairman,-and not, less than two nor more. thaii Aten otlior members,' , one-half representing the -employ-, ers and -tho'other--half ..employees.;/ y ' ■ The i Governor shall actually appoint 'the -boards''oll' the nomination of tho persons iu'.torosted; butsin cas'o; of.-' urgency' shall ap-. :ppiut. a..board,-without reference to ,the contestants. '/ '' I; /" / The chairman of the; board f shall fee nominated : by'/tlio' members'of, it, and appointed by the jrovernor, or in dofault of/ such nomination a Supremo or '.District C'ourt ' Judge; or some'person: nominated by .the Supremo Court,.;may 'bo appointed ; chairman'. ■' ! ' . Any member, of. a board .rieglectirig or; r£\ fusing to act ''shall'-be -liable -to ,a- 'fine,',-,as we|l as to removal';-' and.-.-he",'may,. also'..-be fined :£SOO for ' divulging • trade' secrets that may -.como within '/ his ' - knowledge ■ in / tho 'course of his : niombcrsliip of such board.'.*'/,' '/. After; a board/has 'made an:: award; tho, board may bo dissolved :by''thoGovernor; 'or if not s'o';dissolvcd,.;the • members, may hoki office -for ; two''ycai-s- from, tho date of.; appointment. . Any/member may. resign' in ,'the interim'. ." /•;.' .; -.• -..V , ;

SOOPE OF THE BOARDS. . / Proceedings' by boards' may bo commenced, by a/roferoncd by'thp/Minister,', or application by eithbr employers or. employees engaged in. the industry, or group of indus-: tries, . for .'-which'.' the.:-.board -.lias been /cfoii.stitutod. Tho number of'persons: requisite io sign a', requisition Vsball bo the -same' as ~ f hat-'...'-rcquirotl-i to / nominate. memborsV of boards. . 1; - ■' '

- Boards may fix. the minimum prices' for piecework, the' minimum wages for dsy'.v.'ork,' tho; hours', arid timcs .of work,- the niiuimum i;ates. for holiday, pvcrtimo, 'arid, other /special work, the proportion of apprentices, and improvers to journeyhion, aiid the grant-, iug : , of -'permits''/to'vdid and: infirm! workers' •who i may . not. be ablo to .'earn- tho statutory, .minimumwage'. ' / - • . ' '

;i ; Tlie award, of a board. as.'to thesp matters shall bo binding for . a :poridtl of ' riot 'less than..,onp year,.'arid' riot. piorb than three

years.- . ' -v.i,./-.', ...//-y/': ': :,Whon the award :of :n . board is published in 'the-." Gazette," it - sliull .bo /prinja; /facie '.evidence', of ■ its/ correctness,/;and'/each,. omj, •plpyer- interested is; oh joined rto •"exhibit.it at. his place, of business// >.. -;/ ■''/:/.//y '"/ • ; 'As to. tlie'.procedure "of boards, it jis :provided;,.that, a may he'ajpliointed 'in- thp absoiic.p of 'the re^ul.a,! - .' chairman'/ and--,the,v-.duty '/of. tho '.chairman., \yhpii o'ny: disputo-'isT:reported tqr-*him /is/tb/ondeavour. to bring 'about .'a; settlement. .7; - . To do this * tho' board shall 8 inquire- into tho''merits' 1 , of the matter, rind/may summon any/witnesses', it- thinks .fit.. No person, however,--.shall■; be, /required: to. 'produce- his :bqoks/ or.;.' give any./evidence •' respecting .hisfinancial .position'without- his consent., ;„>// -' 'Assessors may,bo appointed -to assist ;the board, . but/ shall) not-! tak'o nart. )'ri : any 'deliberations or,in'tho .decision of; the board. INCITEMENT TO LOCKOUT OR STRIKE.

-. If any person does anything inciting/to' a lockout or . strike,-, or- instigate .oither,/of them, ho shall be liablo- to ,a; fino' of £1000, or imprisonment'- not o'xcpetling. two, months; but {the right ;6f -any;;person., to, discontimio, any industry /for.', any -, purposo".otheV - than, lockout or strikoMs'presorved.- - ;; ■ Tho dismissal 'of ..any pefson •for -absonco on business'.rblating- t'o. .the. provisions of the Act, -is .prohibited,.'.undera - pPiiiiltj-'. of. £20 for each employee/so /dismissed; 'thp .money.' being irecoyerabld beforo a; District/; Court Judge,:- who/ shall - have . summary./ jurisdiction. .;./:\. ./ .: ;'v

/If any trade or. industrial unionist ihpitos to any- striko or ..lockout tho .'Judge may order his uniou to pay a penalty not .exceeding s£2o out of its-funds, aiid tho, fino,.shall, "be recoverable by/levy on: tho goods t of:-the union, .'whether they bo ..in tho hands ;.'of trustees or.not. . ; .■

trustees \uiay pi'ovo that/.thoy called on the .members, to, obey -the. award. iThere < shall. be. 110 appeal 1 from an order of the District sCourt Judgo.uh. tlio'rcasA-'of' inciting .to 'strike qrUookdut; but ,110; prosocution shall' be, commenced : except' by leavo of a Supreme or 'Court'. Judge.;, I '. Power is given to ;tho, Governor to 'mako regulations.under '.the , Act,- certain' powqrs aro roposed in ' tho. chairmanj certain :res'trietions: are imposed upon the parties, and x a schediilo:. is ; appended' specifying:' the trades in .which' 1 boards may bo. appointed. ■" This list ' is,- howoyer, alterable by., tho 'Governor,, either in tho, direction of, curtail-: ment or' extension. . Officers may be: appointed under, tho ; Act; ( . Members of boards may be paid. _