EMPLOYERS COMPLAIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 152, 30 June 1938, Page 24

EMPLOYERS COMPLAIN

BANE OF INDUSTRY

LACK OF STABILITY TO PLAN

"Our associations are going through very difficult times, and have troubles of all descriptions," said Mr. A. C. i Mitchell, president of the New Zealand i Employers' Federation, congratulating the Wellington Employers' Association at its. annual meeting last night on its excellent year. "Arbitration and conciliation proceedings cause a tremendous amount of work for executives and secretaries, and I am glad to hear that you are considering obtaining an assistant for your secretary. This industrial legislation is causing an enormous increase in secretarial work. We found the same thing; ■in- fact, our secretary (Mr. T. O. Bishop) worked so hard and continuously that he became completely run down, and had to take a complete rest. What has been done and is contemplated to strengthen the secretarial staffs is really necessary, in order that members of our bodies can be assured of the assistance and advice from their secretaries to which they are entitled." "Referring to the standard wage pronouncement of the Arbitration Court, mentioned in the association's report, further increasing the wages of unskilled labourers to 2s 4d per hour, those of semi-skilled workerstb 2s 5d to 2s 7Jd, and those of skilled workers to 2s 9d, Mr. T. O. Bishop, secretary of the New Zealand Employers' Federation, said that when, in past years, the Court made such announcements, as it did on several occasions, employers could regard them as being stable for a considerable period. Recently,, however, plasterers* wages had been fixed at 2s IOJd per hour. "The 1925 pronouncement made by Mr. Justice Fraser set a standard" scale that we were able to adhere to from 1925 to 1931. We knew where we stood and what we would get if we went to ,the Court unless in any particular case or cases there were good reasons for a departure therefrom," said Mr. Bishop. "When the Court last year announced its intention of making standard wages we were all rather pleased, but the wage standards set by the Court last September have been departed from on many occasions since then. That has made the work of secretaries and advocates much harder than otherwise it would be. MOUNTING DIFFICULTIES. "The desirable thing in industry- Is to have stability, so that we can plan accordingly, but when we are living in a state of instability such as exists today, and has. been a feature of the i experience of all of you during the last two years, the result is that commented [upon in your report: 'We find the ten'dency on the part of the Court Qf | Arbitration, the Government, and the i Workers' Unions to impose, from day to day, greater difficulties for employers and manufacturers.' That is no exaggeration of the case, but it is what we really do find. All the factors in industry which range themselves on the side against the employers are seeking, perhaps not consciously, to impose greater difficulties on industry by seeking conditions which have the effect of imposing such difficulties." The apprenticeship legislation, said Mr. Bishop, had been severely criticised, and efforts had been made to secure amendments to the Act from successive Governments. The Act still called for considerable revision. The Employers' Federation had approached the Government, but had received advice from the Minister of Labour (the Hon. H. T. Armstrong) that nothing, would be done regarding apprenticeship legislation, but that something would be done next year. (Laughter.) "That's his hope," said Mr. Bishop. "It will be necessary in any case to have something done in the matter."