SOCIAL CONDITIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 79, 30 September 1936, Page 13

SOCIAL CONDITIONS

GENEVA CONVENTIONS

APATHY IN NEW ZEALAND

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

CHRISTCHURCH, This Day.

Strong criticism of the actions of employers and of the British Government for its uncompromising attitude on questions of social justice was raised by Mr. G. T. Thurston on his return to Christchurch from Geneva, where he attended the International Labour Conference as a delegate for the workers of New Zealand.

"The thing that impressed me," he said, "was that almost invariably the employers did everything in their power to prevent improvement of social conditions. This was done not only by voting but also by needlessly absorbing the time of the conference." He added that in his opinion the employers were putting up a losing fight.

"Since the inauguration of the International Labour Office in 1919," Mr. Thurston continued, "forty-nine conventions have been adopted and more than 830 ratifications have been registered. . When a State ratifies a convention it enters into a compact to maintain by legislation or otherwise certain specific conditions of labour. Strange as it seems New Zealand has not yet ratified one single convention.

"Workers and employers in New Zealand should take a livelier interest in the work of this -great machine. In many cases our laws do not provide the conditions implied in the International Labour conventions and our previous Government seems to have ignored almost entirely the treaty to which it is a party. Little or no discussion takes place in New Zealand on matters pertaining to Labour conventions, and I feel it is my duty to place the question before the Government and ask that these matters should be referred either to the Labour BiUs Committee or some special committee of the House of Representatives."