LABOUR LEGISLATION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 262, 29 July 1908, Page 7

LABOUR LEGISLATION.

VIEWS OF.AUCKLAND EMPLOYERS' I ASSOCIATION. 1 i (Bt TEr.KGUAI'II —rEESS ASSOCIATION.) '. Auckland, July 28. The Parliamentary Bills Committee of tho Employers' Association , has recently had under consideration tho Arbitration and Conciliation Act Amendment Bill, and the Workers' Compensation for Accidents' Bill. With regard to the former, the goneral principles of thd Bill - were favourably received. In view; however, of what was held to be tho doplorablo decision of the special Board of Conciliation in connection with the tramways''--dispute,' the .committee of the Association, decided that it could not possibly seo its way to approve of magistrates acting as chairmen of councils of : conciliation'as proposed in tho Bill. ■ It tfas accordingly resolved to strongly reepmmend to tho Advisory Board of the Employers' in' Wellington that all attempts, at concilation should in future bo abandoned except in siich cases as' can bo arranged between employers' and their employees, tho parties to select ono of tlicir number to presido at nil conferences. The committee further decided to urge that clause 53 of tho 1007 : Bill, providing that officers of industrial unions must bo engaged in tho particulir, industry in rcspebt of which such union is established, sliouldi bo inserted in the -Bill now before' Parliament; also that clauso 105 of tho principal Act should be amondod so as to make it mandatory for a majority of tho members of a union to 'record their votes in favour of a resolution re-, ferring ft dispute to the Conciliation Board or Arbitration Court before it can be passed'. At present it is only necessary for a majority of thoso voting to bo obtained. In connection with tho Workers' Compensation for Accidents Bill, amongst other amendments suggested bv the committee, it' was decided to strongly urgo that clauso 14 of tho 1900 Act should bo insorted in tho new Bill, wheroby it shall bo permissible for employers to mako arrangements with their workmen for schemes of compensation such as may bo approved by tho Conciliation Board or Arbitration Court.