LABOUR IN COUNCIL.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 258, 24 July 1908, Page 4

LABOUR IN COUNCIL.

'■ ARBITRATION BILL DISAPPROVED " NEEDS " AND "EXERTION " WACE , . OPPOSED. '• COAL MINES. V ; ; Tho annual conference of the New Zealand Trades and Labour Council was continued at tho Town Hall yesterday, Mr. J. Thorn occupying the chair. : ' V •' ■ The Conference resumed its consideration of Iho Arbitration' Bill. : . \\ The deletion was moved of, Clause.4s, which, provides that, twenty-fivo shall form a union of workers instead -of soven;. and Vsoyen a. of employers instead of'two. \ Mr. Long. (Auckland) saidY.that< ifc;,would bo the means of knocking out a,number of tho unions. v." Mr. ,G. R. Whiting (Canterbury) said that there wore sixty-two unions in tho Dominion which would havo to close if this becamo law. Mr. 'E- Carter ;(Wclhngton) characterised the clause as-a dcliherate-attompt.to stranglo tho unions. v - ' In supporting tho motion; "Mr,! R:\Breon (Otago) said that iOgo , a .union of nino mon' was . formed.; =;Ho thbught that tho clauso got'into .the Bill., by-.ftn .oversight. (Laughtor) „ ■ A Delegato: ;Nc\t an oversight;:::.. This. is iwhat the Tories~havo been: asking'for.. Mr; Henry/ (Auckland) .also .opposed- the jnotion, because ' when..' his - union' (Hairdressers') iwas 'formed,, it had only nineteon members,- and i they worked fifty-soven -hours for £2 ss. per week. A Voice: Shame!.: The delotion of the clauso was deoided upon juianimously.. «■•••. •

VOTING POWER. Tho; approval of Clauso 47, which deals •with the voting . power of (one vote for -fifty members), was moved. _ Mr. A. Hart, did not think' that a union of seven members should have the sanio voting power 'as a-uniou.of-fifty.'.--It was decided-tb set up'a coinmittee, consisting of Messrs. vßusbridge, Carey, Jackson, and Lightfoot/ ta draft-.a suitable, clause to report in tao .afternoon:..,' WORKINC AT LESS THAN AWARD "RATES. ; ;/

Clause 49, which prdvidss that a worker ■who agrees to? wojrJr-it'Jess.'.thaii'thd award' rate shall not be'y^qwed;,.to.;take proceed-' ings to recover a£t€r three months have olaps^J/was'nextiTconsklcred. Mr. E. Carter : said; that this covercd tbo case of Mr. Dixon, !of Drury. -•■ If tho clauso was put ' into operation, an incompetent worker could agree' to: work,at Jess ..than .'the,award, 'and if three • months elapsed, ; Jho union; would have no claim or authority;" Mr. Lightfoot thought, that any money';ieco.verable should he paid 1 by tho GmployertintO'' the consolidated fund.. '; .; f; • Mr. Rusbridgo said that if a'worker acted as indicated above, he f was betraying ii union, ; and. he : should not'recover? any. money.; Hp} thought, however, that action should not.be' taken if a .worker, acted- in ignorance.• Mr. Breen agreed. ; He continued that there■ were also cases where men had. been' dismissed, and then proceeded against -tho. employer as a retaliatory measure.-. Mr. Faster (Westland) said that the secretary of, a union should'receive" a pay-sheet 1 evory .fortnight. y Mr. Hart , said that the class of men. referred to wero principally "scabs," and ithey; should not benefit. ;'. ~.V Mr. M. J. Reardon (Wellington) complainedthat' appeal had to bo mndo to the "Lower' Court, forany. fine, or back pay .that might, be awarded. ;.'J " .-J,', i Mr. A. H.;-Cooper .(Wellington) pointedout tha.tr,(.ngither : .nor employ er .^.should. receiv.o any such, money- He added that if an omployer < was mulcted' in ! back pay' t-o,' say',' £20 or. ■ £30, the employer > might still fbe at a profit. It was decided to refer the clause to tho' Drafting Committee. ISSUE OF PERMITS. Clause 53:-Issue of permits by Inspectors of Factories to workers to r accept less thaii the ordinary wage. T Mr. Carter opposed the clause, as ho said that the employers?' would make the greatest possible use of it. The men-l should" use" their' combination''to^raise "tlio" minimum wage, 'whereas' the .tendency, of tho clauso was to "reduce it.'"?. •. _ Mr.. Long was against the Inspectors having anything to do with it. ' He complained of the administration of -tho. Labour. Department in Auckland. ,':; He said; that Auckland was the dumping-ground for the. iiicapabies from every part', of 'the dominion;' ::i ('.Ai"? Mr. ; .Whiting, suggested that: two'wdrkcrs, and two employers should, docide whether ;a" permit should or should not b'o issued. ''" J Mr. Whiting's suggestions-was./adopted.?'' THE " NEEDS" AND* " EXERTION " . WAGE. Considerable discussion . took place ;on : tho provision (Clauso: 57) that the Court, having regard to tho nature of tlie industry, concerned, may'"'provide *for;'"tho';piiym'eiit r ''to"' any class of workers of a'needs wage I ,'-'and also of an exertion'wage; ■ Mr. M'Laren , wanted .to show.tho greifc inconsistency of the Government, in this -matter; Dr. Findlay. .said that; sweating had been dono aw.iy. with; and he proceeded to embody a' clauso to. replace sweating. ' Thoy. should opposo the clause' and", eet rid 'Of "the 'men who were trifling - -with' l the jvorkors'affairs. ■;'. ■■■ , i;?!.???? _ The Chairman mentioned.that Jbo idea 1 was in operation at Chrislchurclij' But 'it was causing,.a good deal of., ,trouble.'..The, workers asked tliat.the system of "premium bonuses'' be cancelled.; ■ The men were paid tho minimum for.the standard'output,,andiifhe could:, not do iliis a permit to asked for. If a mouldor worked.eight f )iou'rs and made eight hoses ho got eightr shillings, but if hp made another box':lie 'only.recpiif'e'd.

. all- extra - sixpence, and' tho: omploycrMropt sixpence. For the extra, work the ma'n'>-was. only'' paid half, .the"-ordinary■. rate;- -whereas' lie .should. receive time : 'a. half. 1 '" This, •was what Dr. Tindlay._ proposed." A Delegate:. Robbery, ', The Chairman agreed, with tho- interjection. It was .worso than piece-work,,as. they; did'not get the full rate. 'Thero'.was ncrfair- - ness in the .system, and unpleasantness : was produced, for the men-were-placed'at eacli-' other's' throats. It also;; meantincreqsiqg the standard, for: tlio product;.of:.the .exc'op'-' f tionai " man . was _ taken as' tii'e minimum. Thero was alwa!ys : ' a possibility'of', the time allowed for jobs being reduced.. - . Mr. Breen complained that thbj>ame thing existed ih'Duriediri'in the cl6thing - EFa"db7 and' no secret,was made of it,-.'.He said--that this was against' fho law. ' A man'mado' 25 garments for 255., and if -jie -mado one more, he received sixpence only, and tho employer sixpence. As a matter of principle, he would yoto' against tho clause. ■ Mr. M'Laren: You want a law to stop it. Mr. Parke said : that the wanted picce-vork or wages—orio -or the other. If tho clauso was mado by a lawyer he did not, know ' )iis .grammar. " \[t 'meant' '"-de'etls " ; wage, not ■' needs." Ho was iii favour, of picce-\v6rk.. (Chorus ,'qf disapproval.) 'v■ Mr. Hickcy said that a similar motliod- oli-,. tained in a coal mine in his. district. 'The standard had been raised /from thirty -to thirty-three boxes per- daly. * Twenty tons-had to be filled for eleven consecutivo days'" be~-° fore they could receive, tho. benefits of.tliQ 'Bd. per ton bonus. ' \ \ . I Mr. Rusbridgo.was heartily in accord with the motion,,as'ho was . opposed to both tho piece-work' and tho premium bonus gystftntff Ho did-not. think that the worker should bo called upon to more than, lie should to gain morely a living wage—for' that" is ; all ho was ever likely to get. :The, , pace was fixed by the strong men, and .their bocamo tho standard, and it meant putting worker against worker, and it would bring out thoir worst instincts, and thd worst sido of human nature. - .?.....J/;",, Mr. Alswoilor (Southland):. The : matter

docs not need discussion. We don't want it.' 1 ilr. Jackson thought that the -proposal

would never get on to tho Statute Book. Ho said that tho innate selfishness of some of • in their less fortuv Jnato cotnrgdes. bijcomiflg physical wrccks,.and i it Would, 4 ;ha> ; .e to bo I repealed,,. as it would break'd6wn L -iindor'its own weight. ..iMr..-,*AVestbrooke.<.painted out that if the proposal became law it would mean that somcj .af';thor \rorkcjrfl' would be out of em■ployinont'. *Th6ro -xfHa no doubt of its pernicious nature. >Mr..TGbng''als'ovexpressfcd his strong condemnation of tho'measure. ' It was an insult to tho. workers. Ho was sorry a membor was r ' m'fa:V,o(if' <)f.,piteco-work. He knew its vicious- '■ ness."' Mr, suggested that a clauso be n'ddeel making it ' illegal for any employor to introduce a> premium bonus system. Mi\--H6ward said that tho proposal was not a " speoding-up " wage, but a speedingf, it..Would speed out many of the ■workers'." • ' Tho Chairman: A weeding wago. .•; . Mr-.M'Larcn.jf A sweating wage. ..riStonCßSfe. said that tlio proposal would induce excessive toil, which was degrading In England hp had seen 'ineif-leave the'work at the end of tho day and fall- -'Sown — too weak -to walk homo. Moral and ' physical deterioration was invoked. " -,■••• j . '■ ..' Mr. o'Byrno M sajd,,tbe best solution.of.tho problem.was to-return Socialist candidates to Parliamenti,... (Hoai^hear.) : Mr. Hcardon-said-that it would bo intorosting to know whaFwasMn the subtle and academic mind of:, tho originator of tho clause in trying to put i£Con tho Statuto Book. The needs ,wage was "lixbd- to moot tho requirements of married nffjrf, and he thought that it was tho inten.tibn to givo' lower wages for single mpn v _ .Tho speaker related a sawmill incident :in which a benchman' received the appointment providing lie could do 6700 feet per ii. Ho averaged over 9000 feet per aiy, an<&{'duringJstfe month' ho averaged 10,000 feet per day. That man could do the work, 'ajid ,the .o|hers connected with him kept ugj the paco/f'but they received nothing extra aa> h~e did..j»"!fhat man was. a wreck before hoStiirnod forty. :The i&ti(W,Jifos>fl!Bried unanimously, jit decided to dolete Clauso 58, which "provides! that ifclio Court may refuso to give an j'v £ 'REGISIRATION. !ClausS;s9, dealing...with the cancellation of registratipp... t uuions, was approved of. j Mr7"Breen~tlieh moved: "Tljat this Conference. extends its sympathy to tho 'wharf labourers !of'Dii'nGciift in tho position they aj-qiplaced.-ijijjn with the. dispute filed Sy lilie' .tluipruSteam Ship Company, which they are "compelled to defend, or in the l alternative : must allow to go by dcfai)lj>&.:'Tfi.. ! . ~ v ;The action of tho",company was strongly cbmmonted^iiori.^--^ .! Mr. Reardon saidtho case was sub judice. . Tho "motion' \vas :(, 'carried.

; COUNCILS. ' - ;Mr. . Cooper moved that Subsections 2, 3, .and ; 4'of-*Se"otio*h .55), .dealing with industrial ■councils, bo deleted, and tho following sul> 'itituted: —the purposes ot tin's 'section, he aeomed to bo .p&Sßng "and "tff'progress from tho date of the' filing of the rcferenco with tho Clerk of 'Awards until the dispute has ,■ been • finally pf. .Board or Court,'as tho caso - "A< > ' .' 'This" was carried!'"'? ...

" j " i:! BSSESSORS. ; , "■ :It -was decided that the last clause of tho Bill,-.' Clause '60,' regarding assessors, should bp deleted; as it was held'that tho present Act dealt matter. . j .... ..... ....... . ' v DRAFTING ' COMMITTEE. iTho folldwiii'g : :jopo£t. "of tho Drafting Committee was " That Scction'466. ..of the principal- Act be i .'amonded : .sp'as .to i>iovid(!' that the workers'. ; reprgseijiatives;.' on' tho Board and Court - : .bo elected by' of . the. unions ... : after the following manner :—A ballot shall

~' jbo and every, financial Vote. / The secrci. itaries: shall .forward ;to.'. iho.,.returTn|B^ ! the total: num- % for: each' candidate by J the, members of' liis.'-uniony and the '.return- :. ing officer shall. decide the election on the " itotal number of votes, cast by the unions . !iriHhd i provided that the-person. ;blected: , '.'nlust.!liftW cast-in his favour an 'absolute majority of tho total votes polled. t ".That when any payment- of wages has been ■ ;niadej'toi and knowingly'accepted by, a . worker ''at a< lesstrato than that which is ! fixed»3b^'My t ft®Fd -or otherwise, by law, {no action shall bo brought by the worker _• | a£ainst''his employer to recover .for him{self the difference tho wages so ; actually-c-paid" a nd,. the wages legally pay.4able,. sfave! V)Ylthiiv'thrco' months after'.tho | day. on;.winch ijip^w'ages'claimed in tho ; action "b'ecamo 'duo'and payable. Any such i moneys (.due-jheyojul tlio' period of three moiitlis""alialr be -recoverable, aiid paid | fund." - -■ ■ CONCILIATION BOARDS. ' \ jMr'Breen''moved"tho following remit:— '"That;the: Goijonijnent, bo urged to amend ' the' cohstitutiou-'qf; Conciliation "Boards to ' (a);.: the'' -election of one member unions of workers and ! one. member by tho industrial union of : employers, .with a chairman appointed by I the two; (b) that when , a dispute ,fs filed v ; foi''iicai l iug* c by"T;he Board, tho union .and i the employers concerned to appoint 'two . | reprefeeiitiitives-ciich to sit with tho other i members ' and adjudicate ou .: the idisp'u'tfe'.'l';? ■ Jk t'ilCi uii- it- H- ■ ; Mfi 'Breenjftvasj givon permission' '.to' - add tho' following words to it:—"Tho Board, to have : alio tho/ ..powers ...conferred upon, it as ;proposqdj'in|;thp,B.Uljntroducod last session." ; ';Mr. Carey said that the Wellington' delegates were of-opinion .that .it was immaterial to them were one or two permanent representatives. Personally, ho preferred one. delegates wanted tho appointment;of assessors to be optional,-but what they "specially* wanted, was that tho : ; Boarjd'.s. depisioii.;,tshquld : have- finality, and ' that".,tlio recommendations should. operato in thp^.samesway,>as'air'dward .of tho Court., ; An amendment moved by Mr. M'Laren " be inserted; for the word "to"; beforeappoint two reprosentatives," was "lost.'' The motion jvas.'lost also. ; i It wasjdecide^,triat Section 60 of. the Act 'o'f ,1905 Ije'repealedf.ih order to romovo what :i? k'ii'own as tho " Willis blot,"-by which any ono party could take a case from tho Board •itjrthe Court. 1 vi ; r^WI-UTIONS. k ; 3ib". ; -'iThat. in_ any: industry in" ••! '-an award of a ' of Arbitration shall \ keep,.,.br,iCajtsOatoibb. kept' time-sheets and j pay sheets,. and failure •to do so shall con- " | fetitutacftißreach of:the Court;" ; . wjis\carrigd'' unanimously. ; Mr," Jack'son jrioyed:— ' ' IThat the Industrial- and Conciliation Act bo f [amended so t as to compel omployors to"' > provide duplicate-copies of wages sheets i to workers' union'secrotaries on domand." I Tho 'motion was carried. ■; j Sfo 'M'Laren'.-moved:—• ."That, tho Act,be,.amended to provide that '. ; the party ; rcfejriifg' a ca6o from tho Board . . to,. tlio,- Court. shall appear as plaintiff in • • tho caso"before tho Court." ; 'This was carried'unanimously. i /'That 'tho." Board of Conciliation liavo all- , ; the''p&wersrof-;,the, Court to'admit or rc- '. ject any ; evidence .'of either ordinary' wlfc ) :'4oss|^w;J^rti§4 £ to i tho_ dispute." i This was carried unanimously. • f Mr. Cooper moved: — ' "Tiiat v i'n overyi.ciiso. tho Conciliation Board '! slialUattach ito. its recommendations a ; memorandums stating what items (if any) •liavo' beeni ''agreed-to by tlio parties, and | if-'ifo settloirto'nt is effected such items (if ! any^'-'shallj-'bo : interporat-ed in any sub'so- " quont' x 'a^!ird" ; of- tho Court of Arbitra- • ! ; tion." ... • Tho 'motion"''waV'carricd unaniraoußlj\

Mr. Cooper also moved:— "The Board shall havo power to amend its recommendations for tho purpose of remedying an error or defect." The motion was carried. Mr. A. H. Cooper (Wellington) moved: — "That when tho union of two-thirds of tho employers afTccted agree to tlio recommendation of tho Board it shall be binding on tlio whole, and shall be enforceable, and in every particular as effective as an award of tlio Court of Arbitration." This was carried unanimously.. Mr. Cooper also moved:— , "That when a dispute has been referred to tho Court of Arbitration the Board's ro- ■ commendation shall operate and bo enforceable as an award until tho Court has finally disposed of tho dispute." This was'carried unanimously. COAL MINES AND MINING ACT. Mr. Hickey moved tlio following remit "(a) That the powers of. workmen's inspectors bo extended to provide that when such inspectors recommend reasonable conditions of improving the health and safoty of tlio workmen, such recommendations shall bo carried out, otherwise tho said inspector shall stop workmen from working in any placo considered defective, pending tho decision of tho Government; inspectors of mines and mine owners bo compelled to pay far.time lost through such cases, (b) Tlio workmen's inspectors bo paid by the State for inspecting the mines, (c) That mine owners supply workmen with tho best explosives at cost price. (d) That the rcgula- : tion under the Coal Mines' Accident Relief Fund be amended to extend the same benefit, to miners laid up through sickness when it .can be medically proved that tho illness was incurred in the courso of tho worker's employment. (e) That the fund be con- ! solidated and converted into a Dominionfund for the benefit of all coal miners." The .motion was taken in two portions. The mover gave a lengthy explanation of tho Blackball miners' trouble. Ho drew special attention to the need of ventilation in mines, and improvement of the working conditions. He mentioned that at Otira hot baths were necessary, as' the' men wero compelled to work eight hours in water. It was not only for more wages that the men asked, but for better conditions. Rogatding tlio exertion wage, lie understood that special men wero paid extra money to . Set the pace to the others. Ho know that batches of thirty and forty had left. He mentioned that tho rock dust affected quartz workers, and they got a disease nearly as bad as consumption. Mr. Foster supported the motion. He said that-tho fund should bo-extended to cases of sickness, and not to apply it only to cases of accident. It would make peoplo shudder to see a boy carrying twenty-five pounds of powder on his back. .Ho urged that all workings in mines should not bo sealed up to keep tlio gas in.

•Mr. Jackson supported the motion. He said that when men worked under conditions which engendered diseaso, thoy should re.ceivo any available benefits. The Govorn'ment recognised this, and had introduced it in one of their measures. Ho asked that the men should. receive a royalty; on the gold prbduced. He proposed this to apply to allu-. vial and quartz ..mining. . MrJ Fester emphasised the danger of working near gold dust. He "maintained that if it; was right to lovy on coal for the same reason,-it should apply, to gold. •/.!" One of tho delegates. stated that ho had suffered severely from a: diseaso similar 1 to that mentioned. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr. Hickey moved: — "That this; Conference iirgo upon*the Go-' vernment the necessity of compelling John M'Lean and Sons, contractors, to adhere to tho condition of their contract'regarding ■ accommodation and conveniences of employees engaged'in; the construction of Arthur's Pass tunnel."

Mr. Carter thought it would bo advisablo to communicate with tho men' working at Otira to verify tho facts. .. Mr. Hickey assured -Mr; Carter that ho had bbeu aiithoritfitively .jiiformed by _ $he. seprotary of the Inangahua Miners' Union;' . Mr. Long'said that 'the' Government should have taken on tho contract, but as they did not do so, they" should see that tho conditions .of the .... . . . -Tho motion;was carried'unanimously. : WORKERS' COMPENSATION. Mi'. Hickey moved "That Union:representatives I 'b6 empowered to take proceedings to'.sue for tlio recovery of compensation •on ; behalf of'tho .workers- . and their dependents;" , The motion was carried unanimously. The' Conference adjourned at' 6 p.m. until ,9 o'clock this morning.