LABOUR'S PROPOSAL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 88, 13 April 1923, Page 2

LABOUR'S PROPOSAL

MR. FRASER EXPLAINS POSITION FURTHER., ■Further reference to tlis Labour Party's uropofliil for inviting representatives of the employees of the various departments of the Corporation to sit on City Council committees, was made by Mr! .P.- Fraser, M.P.. during the eourge of his Mayoral election address at the Nswtown Library last night. . Commenting upon tile "Evening Post's" sub-leader last, night, with respect .to his oravious statement on the subject. "Mr. Fraser said he really gave credit to the "Post" for having a greater sense of proportion than it had displayed that night. In days gone by "The Post" . had tried 'to grapple with problems, and a year or "two ago it dealt with what it called "Guild Socialism," Yet. when the Labour Party came forw.ard with something not half bo extreme "The Post" attacked Labour violently. ' !.."'. Mi". Fraser said that Labour's proposal was that it was essential that on the various committees running the services of the city. the men who were actually doing the work should be called in for consultation. The ernrioyee* should havethe right to appoint members from their own ranks to go on those committees. 1 It did not mean that they would have a seat on the council; or-that' they would control finance, or that their recommendations would necessarily be carried out; jt meant that they would come in to be. consulted o.n> matters ■ that affected their industry, wages, conditions, and hours of employment. on how the service couil be run efficiently, .and what the opinions of their members were a* to the various enterprises. Mr. Fraser said that . he, had a long list of cooperative societies in Great Britain who had found that they could not conduct their activities successfully unless they gave the employees a voice in the management. That was the...problem Labour would have to face if it got a majority ■in the City Council. If Labour sat round and looked upon the tramwaymen, or any other city employees, simply as servants, if the position was to continue to be simply that of employer and employee^. what guarantee could - they have that there would not be strikes and lockouts, and the same old troubles that there had ever been? There was only one way in which that could be obviated, that was by facing the problem of management in co-operation with the employees. ■ .

This was one of the subjects which had engaged the attention of some of the greatest brains that functioned on the earth. These were all 'agreed that there was no nrojn'ess possible so long as one section of the community, the employing section, treated their employees just-as'so many wasre slaves,' without giving them a voice in the running of the industry iji which they were engaged. Labour would co-operate the services o{ employees, as the law provided that it could do, and questions would' be studied round the table, not as enemies,, but ma spirit of co-operation. The question would th«n be decided as to what hours, wages, arid conditions the various municipal concerns could stand without putting too great a. burden on the ; resi of the people who were consumers. That would obviate any trouble. The men's representatives would have a voice, the men would fesl that they were being consulted, and it would' all be conducive towards smooth working of ths municipal concerns. That proposal was on Labour's national and municipaj platforms, and they adhered to itr strongly. .