TO ABOLISH STRIKES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 107, 7 May 1924, Page 11

TO ABOLISH STRIKES

. TO THE EDITOR. ■ '.;..- Sir,—lt.'seems incompatible with the so-called fine sytem qi education and enlightenment^ oJ the-present ' day that we should be found still using rebellion and suchmethods as "strikes" in bur endeavours: to attain the most vital objects. : <s . : ■'■■■_.-:.- - The present juncture, coupled with the more or less helpless, state.of affairs on all sides,1 surely does1 not. behove'open' rebellion as the best means of enticing the principles of compassionate consideration from those placed in the position to bestow1 such. ' . , ■ '..•■■.-';' The boldest front that ■ the average worker of to-day can offer hinges upon the loss of a. lew .weeks', wages, after which he-presents an easy win "to those whom he kicks against, . which proves that he is :very poorly. "generalled" when led into the '"field of siege" with such a tissue of pretence. . ' ; , - . ■'.-.. ■•' It is pitepusly obvious that the would-' be act of cohesion usually proves to be I merely an try-on, and fends up by his .action being still another proof o fhis helplessness .to dictate to-,his.^so-called master—the wage payer—to say nothing of the loss inconvenience to. many: who are innocent of the grievances, as well as, a degree of decadency,' perhaps; to the .whole country; . Individual, rebellion -meets- its., reward—the sack;''•' collective rebellion ends in :. collective failure,' and. .disaster. Contentions and strikes at ;merely tend to set all.the points of dignity at variance and gets us nowhere. ■'.- . . : ..: .',' '.■ ■ I would suggest that we do away- al-. together with the so-called Arbitration and Conciliation Courts, for it seems that such Courts have dwindled into the farce,, of merely suffling the ciu-ds in dumb-show, 'until both . sides are sub-: | dued into the, inevitable; point of reason | —the only antidote for-such: costly.bluff. If we are educated and.enlightened, why' throw- bricks at each other as an. argument?. ... '_ •.-.-. -.--..-. . ■ ;

Let some ■ modern. member of Parlia'' merit: strive} and get .'an' Act passea making "strikes'; an antiquated method, -which, they now are, and - replace'■• such by. mtroducing '!a mew .law,"- whiclv I should :call, perhaps for want of a better name—"Concordant. Representation" —embodying all the efficiency required' to deal. with, internal dissatisfaction or reasonable . demands, arid proving more efficacious in the . interests of -all - complainants.; Thus: Supposing such "Act" were passed, a demand or dispute arises amongst workers, and while they- are bound 'by' this : :"Act'' 'to, go oifcw'ith the lr work, meantime the ' same law ■is automatically in ■ position to afford the best possible hearing'to their:case; arid'without, stoppage, -loss of wages, or inconvenience, to arivone, providing of course, that their demands were backed up by the required;number.of signatures or -vote?, estimated to ' have full effect under: the '.^Concordant--' Representation ■Act. .Moral: The first person to" be struck is. the, striker in a'strike, -who' strikes himself.' ■ '■ -."" . .-"■.:■■ ..-'"

;i .Finally,' I should suggest..that it all workers .were to' draw a "little closer to' ™c" ,°<£f' -ajjdf help each other, over ™? h S^f" they:conldi achieve ■much more with'less .subordination, -and get more compliances and 'justice while they work on. And beware of agitators who-may. be welPpaid while you are idle and perhaps hungry. ; Stop, your work— ■you stop your boss and stop -your pay A common error, amongst workers is for one to disrate, another's ability, perhaps by-wagering that this or that piece of work w ,ll. be .a. failure,, little knowing that such an attitude is the first step to produc ei failures, and forgetting thatleatK ™? is an .essential cog in-the great machine, of hfe.—l.am; etc '•'■- ■

S. F. DARRAGH.

6th May,