INDUSTRIAL CONSCRIPTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 247, 6 July 1918, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL CONSCRIPTION

3 . o — * EMPHATICALLY PROTESTED 1 AGAINST f 9 J A conference of labour organisations, " called by the United Federation of La--1 bour, was opened at the Esperanto Hall, a Lambton Quay, yesterday. There was an 3 attendance of about seventy delegates, ' who represented, directly and indirectly, fc about 200 organisations, or nearly 90,000 ' workers. There were delegates from the 1 larger organisations such as the A.S.R.S., 0 Shearers' Federation, Miners' Federa- " tion, Seamen's Federation, and Trans-' port Workers' Federation. Mr. T. Blood- " worth, newly appointed National Pre--1 sident of the Federation of Labour, was " appointed president of the congress, and ' Mr. Hiram Hunter secretary. The pro--3 feedings were not open to the Press. The following motion was carried as a preliminary— - That this congress emphatically protests against the olauses of the.. Finance Act, 1918, providing for industrial conscription. A committee of three, comprising r Messrs. T. Bloodworth, B. J. Howard, 0 and Al. J. Savage, was subsequently set * up to go fully into the matter. e Tho tallowing recommendations from 5 the Otngo Labour Council were before 3 the congress, which referred them to . t!)e Special Committee:— 1 \. That before any regulations are '■ made by the Government under the ' nbovo clause of the Finance Act, a conI ference shall be called to frame the proposed regulations, such conference to be held under the auspices of the Government, and to be composed of an equal number of employers and employees, with a Government representative as ~ chairman. " y 2. The workers' and the employers' re-' prcsentatives shall be chosen .directly by '„ the different organisations,' as follows— "" One representative each for the Miners' Federation, Agricultural and Pastoral Union, the Transport Workers' Federal tion, and tho United Federation of Labour. 3. Where it is found necessary to restrict or prohibit any employment, occupation or any business undertaking, it shall be incumbent upon tho Government to provide immediately for the workers displaced, by such restriction or prohibitions of such employment, occupation or business undertaking. 4. Where a worker is transferred from one industry (o another, and the wages in the industry to which he has been so transfenred be lower than the one in which he has been previously employed, then the wages of tho worker so transferred shall be the same as he received at his previous occupation. Where the wages in the industry to which a worker is transferred bo higher than he had previously received, then, the worker shall receive the higher wages ruling in the industry to which he is transferred. In no instance shall tho wages of a transferred worker be (reduced. 5. Where it necessitates a transferred worker to live away from his family, ho shall receive extra remuneration to cover such extra expenditure. 6. Where a transferred worker requires new tools, they shall be provided for t him free of cost, such cost to be borne 3 by the industry to v. Inch he is transi feirred. ~ 7. All travelling expenses of trans- » ferred worke.'s shal bo borne by the J industry to which he is transferred, t 8. Children of school age shall only l be employed in accordance with the provisions of the Factories Act. 9. All workers affected by any of the regulations made under the above clause , 2,1 of the Finance Act, 1918, shall bo 1 required to belong to some industrial 1 union of workers. 10 Where it shall become necessary for the State to control any factory or " other undertaking, tho profit, allotted to 1 the owner or owners of such factory or } undertaking shall be the average profit obtained for the three years emhng on t August 1, 1911. Tho balance thereafter n to go to the State. . ? 11 Where it shall become necessairy for the State to purchase any ™™vr°* other undertaking, the purchase pne .hall he fixed by a committee on which j the workers shall be reprinted 12. For the carrying out of those iret relations, National and District Boards St established, which shall cousis J of an «m«l number of representatives , of wiplovers and em l?]?r M V' a °°™JS ' their organisations, wilh a Government '. representative as chairman.