TO STOP STRIKES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 15, 18 July 1939, Page 10

TO STOP STRIKES

BILL TO BE PASSED TODAY

UNIONS MUST KEEP AWARDS

GOVERNMENT TAKES FIRM ACTION

Powers to cancel the registration of any industrial union or the relevant award, either wholly or for any locality, is given to the Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C. Webb) by a Bill which was introduced in the House of Representatives this afternoon. It is tlie intention of the Government to pass the measure through all stages today. The Bill fulfils the promise given some weeks ago by the Minister to deal with workers and employers in such a way that advantage cannot be taken of direct action after disputes have been settled under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.

In explaining the Bill, the Minister : said that the Bill gave him power in j cases where there was any discontinu- j ance of employment to cancel the regis- ' tration of any industrial union of employers or workers concerned, or can-! eel the relevant award either wholly or in respect of any specified locality. He pointed out that the present Government restored the provisions relating to compulsory arbitration, and,' amongst other things, simplified the procedure regarding the citation of parties to industrial disputes, thereby facilitating the obtaining of awards, and also provided for the compulsory membership of unions of workers. "If unions desire to have the benefits of organisation under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, then they must be prepared to adopt the machinery laid down in that Act and' have their disputes dealt with in a constitutional manner," said Mr. Webb. "They cannot, however, take advantage of the Act for ihe purposes of i organising and then ignore it when a dispute arises. Some machinery is therefore necessary to meet the position. "Although the number of industrial disturbances during the years 1936. 1937, and 1938 totalled 167, as against j 51 for the years 1933, 1934, and 1935, | the total number of working days lost was less, 82,352 as against 94,055, while the estimated total loss in wages was £87,029, compared with £81,721. In considering the figures relating to the total loss of wages, it should not be forgotten that the estimate of £81,721 for the years 1933-35 represents the loss while the 10 per cent, reduction in wages was in operation and that this cut in wages was restored to the workers in 1936. IRRITATION AND ILL-FEELING. "While the disturbances have, generally speaking, been of minor importance, they undoubtedly give rise to irritation and ill-feeling and interfere with the normal flow of production, and it is felt that with the machinery that is in existence for the settlement i of any industrial disputes that may occur there is really no necessity for! industries to be held up or impeded j as they have in the past as a result of disputes arising out of conditions of employment. "It is true that in some cases an j award of the Court of Arbitration may [ not express the intention of the par- , ties or that the decision of the Court' may not be acceptable to one side or! the other, but it is a fundamental prin- i ciple of the Act that if the parties cannot agree in conciliation council they are to abide by the decision of: the arbitrator, that is, the Court of i Arbitration, until the expiration of the j currency of the award, when the mat- ■■ ter can again come up for discussion under the procedure laid down in | the Act. j "Where there is any doubt as to the meaning c€ a provision in an

award the position may be cleared up by.way of an application for interpretation, while most- . awards usually contain a clause providing for the setting up of a disputes committee to settle any dispute arising out of the award and not specifically dealt with therein. COURT'S DECISIONS MUST | BE ACCEPTED. "If either side refuses to accept the final decision of the Court, then it is obvious thait the whole basis of the Act breaks down, and, as previously stated, if unions are net prepared to accept the procedure under the Act, then they should not seek to retain its benefits." Urgency was accorded the passing of the. Bill which was introduced on Governor-General's Message. "VERY MYSTERIOUS." Mr. W. J. Poison. (National, Stratford), after Mr; Webb's brief explanation of the Bill, said that :he Minister had been very mysterious. Here was a Bill that cut right across existing legislation. What was the reason for it? "What has the Government got up its sleeve?" asked Mr. Poison. "What terrible thing has happened in the industrial world so far as conciliation and arbitration are concerned to cause a change of policy of this kind? Is it not a fact that the Government's own legislation provides ample penalty for breaches of its own enactments? Is there not a provision for a penalty of £100 for any union that disregards an award and also one of £5 for each member of any union that disregards an award? Why have we not heard something about penalties being enforced? Why ask this House as a matter of urgency without a moment's warning to pass something because of some secret thing that has happened somewhere? Let us havr it," added Mr.' Poison. The Attorney-General (the Hon. H. G. R. Mason): The workers have a new protector. The Bill was read a first time and on the motion for the second reading Mr. Poison said he wanted to raise his voice against the attitude of the Minister of Labour in asking the House to pass legislation without telling them what it was for. ''We have had no speech from the Minister and we have not got the Bill," he added. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage): The Bill is being circulated and the hon. gentleman knows it. "OUTRAGEOUS." Mr. Poison said that he knew nothing about the Bill. This sort of. thing was outrageous, he declared. "Now that I am on my feet copies of the Bill are being sent round. If some member of this party had not risen to his feet this Bill would have gone through without a word." (Government laughter and dissent.) He claimed that he was perfectly correct in stating that the Minister had no intention of disclosing the contents of the Bill. Mr. T. H. McCombs (Government, Lyttelton): Don't be a hypocrite. Called to order by Mr. Speaker, Mr. McCombs withdrew the word hypocrite. (Proceeding.)