WORK OF ARBITRATION COURT

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 23, 22 October 1936, Page 2

WORK OF ARBITRATION COURT

Auckland Unions Anxious

SPEEDING-UP URGED

Dominion Special Service

.•Auckland, October 21.

Soaie Auckland unions are anxious that the work of the Arbitration Court should be speeded up so far as the handling of industrial disputes is concerned, as they maintain that workers, particularly those who are riot at present working under awards or agreements, are being seriously penalised by delay on the part of the court in making pronouncements. One union secretary stated this morning that he intended to write to the Minister of Labour, Mr. H. T. Armstrong, and draw his attention to the delays that were occurring in pronouncements by the court in cases where applications had been made for awards. His case was argued before the court early in September, and close on seven weeks had elapsed without advice as to whether or not decision in the matter had been reached. It was unfair, added the secretary, that workers should be penalised in this way, especially in industries where there had been no award. If the court was so overloaded with work that it could not handle the disputes presented to it in reasonable time, then something should be done to relieve the pressure. Some action by the Minister seemed to be indicated, as it would probably be March next before the court reached Auckland for its next sitting, although it was scheduled to return on November 4.