INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 247, 11 July 1908, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES.

NON-REGISTRATION. (BT TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIOHT.) Sydney, July 10. , Since the Industrial Disputes Act has been in force only five unions have registered. The poor responso is attributed to tho Labour Council advising the unions to ignore the Act. A WEST AUSTRALIAN STRIKE. Kalgoorlle, July 11. ! A strike of employees of firewood companies supplying the inines is having a serious effect. Several of the mines are closing. -. POSITION OF UNORGANISED LABOUR,

One of the grievances the Sydney Labour Council has against the new Industrial' Disputes Act (says the "Sydney Morning Herald") is that it does not extend that recognition to unionism, that was given under the old Act. As a matter of fact, unorganised labour cannot be a party to an industrial agreement. It must, according 1 to section 12, be a trades union or branch registered under the Act. "The starting point under each statute is the same," Mr, Wade said recently, l , referring to the Industrial Arbitration Act and the Industrial Disputes Act, "namely, unionism. :Unorganised labour has no opportunity of registering wider either statute." Any trade union may be' registered, but if it appears that the members of an applicant union may conveniently belong to another trades union that has been registered the application may be refused. This is a further protection to trade unions. .

It has been urged that bogus unionsmay register , and tlins defeat the purpose of tho .legitimate unions.' Ample safeguard is provided against such a possibility by the opportunity given by. section 9, sub-section i, to lodge .objections) and the provision that all proceedings in respect-of applications are open to tho public. Once- registered a trade union may mako an industrial agreement with an employer, and has the right to apply to the Court for. a board to bo constituted. And so long as a .union- has registered it lias the exclusive right to apply for a board to bo constituted in that particular industry. If, however,] a union of a trade refuses to renter, or if having registered tho unions - fail to apply for a board, thon any twenty employees in the industry may make an application, whether members of the union or not. This ; section is primarily a -protection to genuine unions; but it enables employees in entirely unorganised trade to obtain redress of grievances. Finally, as a safeguard against a deadlock through employers or employees deciding to boycott'the measure, tho Minister is given power, on tho recommendation of the Industrial Court, to, direct that a board be constituted without any application from tho