ARBITRATION BILL

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 169, 13 April 1932, Page 10

ARBITRATION BILL

Upper House Approval FEMALE WORKERS Minimum Wage Clause The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was passed by the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon, without material alteration. A new clause, introduced by the Government, giving female workers the right to apply to the Arbitration Court for the fixing of a minimum wage, was agreed to. A long discussion took place in committee on clause 7. governing the conditions under which disputes might be referred to the Arbitration Court. An amendment was moved by the Hon. Sir Thomas Sidey that disputes should be referred to the court if the majority of assessors voted in favour of that course. Under the Bill, where there were eight assessors, the majority would have to be six to two, but under his amendment. Sir Thomas pointed out. the majority would have to be given to three. He thought the amendment was a reasonable one. The Hon. Sir James Parr, Leader of the Council, said that the amendment struck at the root of the Bill, and he was afraid he could not accept it. The object of the legislation was to place greater responsibility upon the Conciliation Council. The amendment would make it easier to go to court. The Hon. M. Fagan, who seconded the amendment, said he had no faith in the Bill. He was afraid it would not do the job its supporters expected. He was convinced that important machinery was being destroyed, but the amendment would assist to reduce the damage. The Hon. C. J. Carrington said he thought the Council would be doing a service to the Government if it agreed to the amendment. The Hon. R. Masters, Minister of Education, said that the whole spirit of the Bill was to foster a spirit of conciliation. This would be defeated if the amendment were carried. The Hon. J. A. Hanan said that the effect of the clause was to reduce ’ the Arbitration Court to a mere skeleton. There was no occasion to go that length io remove irksome restrictions. The Hon. Sir Janies Allen said everything possible should be done to engender a spirit of co-operation. He hoped that in the future the need for the Arbitration Court would disappear altogether. It was possible for the differences to be settled around the table. A conciliatory policy was by far the best. ... The Hon. Colonel G. J. Smith said he supported the amendment. The Government was closing the way to the Arbi'tratiou Court. The clause as it stood was manifestly unfair and was bound to cause irritation. Sir James Parr said that the real object of the clause was to make the Conciliation Council do its job. It was hoped that the Conciliation Court would be a Conciliation Court, not a mockery, as it had been sometimes. There seemed to be an assumption that the present Act was satisfactory. The present Act was not satisfactory. In six years there had been 219 strikes. The worker could not have arbitration and strikes too. The Government sought to replace the present system by another which it was felt would be to the advantage of everyone. The amendment was lost by 22 votes to 6 Those who supported Str ihomas Sidey were the Hons. Carrington. 1* agan, Hanan, Mclntyre. Sidey, and Smith. The third reading was passed by 22 votes to 5, the Hons. Carrington. lagan, Hanan, Mclntyre, and Sidey voting against the Bill. The Council adjourned until this afternoon.