INDUSTRIAL LAW

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 207, 29 May 1936, Page 12

INDUSTRIAL LAW

Shops and Offices Bill Passed MINISTER’S CHARGE Attempts to Evade Effects Of Measure ah allegation that there might be persons inside the House working with employers outside in attempts to evade the effects of the Government’s industrial legislation was made by the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. T. Armstrong, during the committee stage of the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. Mr. Armstrong condemned the attitude of some employers. and threatened that if the legislation being put through did not protect the workers adequately be would bring down something more drastic and with retrospective operation. For more than an hour members of the Opposition had been trying strenuously to persuade the Government to drop the clause in the Bill which states that in determining the rate of payment to employees all previous terms of employment must be taken into account. The general view of the Opposition was that the clause would prevent tlie employment of . youths anxious to leave one occupation and start ill another for which they were better suited. In his reply, Mr. Armstrong claimed that all over the Dominion at the present time employers were taking on bovs aud girls at the minimum rate, employing them for a year, dismissing them,"and then re-engaging them at the minimum rate again. That was what the employers were engineering for at the moment in seeking the exclusion of the clause under discussion. Young Workers Discharged. “I have been inundated with letters from the parents of boys and girls stating that as soon as the young workers are entitled because of their service to a decent wage they are be ing discharged and re-engaged at the minimum wage,” the Minister stated. "That is happening all over the conn try. I have a report from an officer of my department which indicates that a certain firm has sacked 16 of its em ployoes. giving notice of cancellation ot their employment, and telling them that they would be taken on again temporarily and probably re-engaged later permanently.” Mr. 11. S. S. Kyle (Opposition, Riccarton) : We told you that would happen. The Minister: Yes. And you people are holding up this legislation until these employers can get away with this sort of thing. "Members of the Opposition kuow that some of their number are acting under instructions to hold up this legislation while this dirty work is going on. I know all about, the conspiracy which is going on between some of the leading lights in the legal profession. for instance, who are busy advising the employees and organisations such as guilds of workers how to act to get outside this law. But if these people get away with it at the moment we will bring down legislation, and we will make it retrospective, which will make them comply with the law.” An Opposition member: You are getting a threatener now. Must Respect Legislation.

The Minister: Yes. it is a threat, and I mean it. I am going to see that this legislation is resjiected, and I am going to come down like a ton of bricks on auvone who tries to get away from it.

"I am inclined to think that these schemers outside the House have some people inside the House working for them." said the Minister. “But I venture to suggest that your leaders know nothing about it. Your party leaders would not. stand for that sort of thine. I suggest that you should give us a reasonable chance of getting this legislation on the Statute Book.”

Five members of the Opposition jumped to their feet simultaneously when the Minister had concluded. Mr H. G. Dickie (Opposition. Paten). who said that it was not human nature for employers to act In the way that had been suggested, denied that the Opposition acted on instructions. Mr R. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs) took exception to tne Minister stating that the Bill had be c n held up. and quoted the use of the closure as a remedy which lay in the bands of the Government. Mr. S. G. Holland (Opposition, Christchurch North) challenged the Minister to

prove that the Opposition was acting on instructions to hold tlie Bill up. ami Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Opposition. Riccarton) made a similar denial. Mr. 11. Atmore (Independent. Nelson I and Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Roskilli asserted that firms .n many parts of Now Zealand hail given their employees notice similar Io the case quoted by the Minister. The rest of the committee discussion was comparatively lifeless. All tlie amendments circulated by the Minister and published yesterday morning were adopted, and in addition Mt. Armstrong promised to consider several points made by the Opposition with a view to having the Bill altered before it was passed by the Legislative Council.

The third reading was brief. Mr Holland and Mr. Armstrong were the only siteakers, and no new ground was broken. The Bill was read a third time anil passed shortly after 5 o’clock, having gone through all its stages without a single division.

Miss B. Black, formerly a pilot member of the Otago Aero Club, has joined the 'Wellington Aero Club. Her advent brings the number of active women pilots in Wellington to live, the others being Mrs. B. Fnrkert. Miss J. Prime and Mis* R. McKinnon, who are hold ers of licenses as pilots, and Miss E Reeves, who is undergoing instruction and who recentlv made her first soio flight.