ARBITRATION COURT

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 64, 17 March 1931, Page 10

ARBITRATION COURT

WHAT IS A CONTRACT?

UNIONS THREATEN TO

CANCEL

The recent Labour Conference, re"ports Mr. J.. Boberts, discussed ,the position of the Court' of Arbitration in regard to the proposed wage reduction. "While many of the smaller unions realise that .in the past the Court was necessary to maintain the "standard of'living of their members, if,, however, the Court intends to declare all existing awards and industrial agreements merely 'scraps of. paper,' then it cannot be said that the Arbitration Court even assists to maintain the standard of living of these workers. It has always /been heia that an industrial^ agreement or award r is ( a solemn contract made between the employers and the workers,- but if there contracts are made only to be smashed at the will of Parliament or the bondholders overseas, these workers cannot hope to rely' on that institution any longer. The conference, after serious consideration, decided that, in the event of the Court of, Arbitration reducing wages or worsening the conditions of employment contained in any awardor industrial agreement before the expiry of that award or industrial agreoment, the union or unions affected be instructed by the national committee to cancel their registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The trade union movement of New Zealand is definitely opposed to the Parliament of this country interfering with awards or industrial agreements; indeed, the Labour Movement questions the authority- of Parliament to .break a contract of this kind. If they can break a contract legally made by the Court of Arbitration or a contract legally; drawn up between the trade unions and the employers, then it is certain that Parliament can break any other commercial contract that may exist."