STABILISATION PLAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 66, 19 March 1943, Page 5

STABILISATION PLAN

TEST OF EXPERIENCE

In all its principles the economic stabilisation plan announced last December was unassailably sound, but some of the provisions had led to undesirable results, and there had been administrative and legal difficulties over others, said the Minister in Charge of Stabilisation (Mr. Sullivan) in a statement made, after consultation with the Prime Minister, to explain amending regulations embodying alterations and provisions suggested after three months' experience. The regulations were gazetted this week. '"The original regulations," said Mr. Sullivan, "were drafted to give the Supreme Court jurisdiction in all rent cases and the Magistrate's Court jurisdiction in all cases where the rent was not in excess of £520 per annum. Under the new regulations, the Magistrate's Court will have jurisdiction up to £525, or in any other cases if the parties agree. The figure is altered to £525 to cover a rent of £10 a week, which equals about £523 per annum. "Again, the original regulations imposed on Conciliation Commissioners the task of determining basic rates of remuneration in doubtful cases and also other tasks of a similar nature. The new regulations substitute the term 'Wages Commissioners' for 'Conciliation Commissioners.' What this means is that the Minister can appoint Conciliation Commissioners to be Wages Commissioners, or alternatively can appoint other persons specially qualified for the work. In addition, the Director of Stabilisation is enabled, with no limits as to time, to appeal against any decision of a Wages Commissioner. This is a safeguard against decisions which may not be in conformity with the general plan of stabilisation. A further such safeguard is contained in a new provision requiring every person or authority with emergency jurisdiction to fix rates of remuneration to exercise this jurisdiction in conformity with the stabilisation plan. "Under clause 38 of the principal regulations, the Court of Arbitration is required not to make any 'apprenticeship order which varies conditions of employment or increases rates o£ remuneration otherwise than to remove an anomaly. , Because apprenticeship orders can be amended during their currency, the words 'or amended 1 are inserted in clause 38.

"Another provision is one requiring authorities with power to fix road passenger fares to exercise this power in conformity with the stabilisation plan, The Minister is enabled to issue directions, either general or specific, to such authorities."

DISPUTES UNDER NEGOTIATION.

"It has been found that at December 15 there were a few industrial disputes in the process of negotiation; and in one or two of them complete agreement had been reached. It has also been found that, certain employers had arranged schemes of classification or contracts of service which had not been brought into force at December 15. The Government has decided after careful consideration that proceedings in respect of these matters should be allowed to go forward. I must emphasise that this can be done without conflict with the principle of stabilisation. In the first place the number of cases which can be dealt with under this provision is not large. In the second place, any alterations in existing agreements or awards under this provision must be approved by the Court of Arbitration, and the application for approval must be lodged with the Court on or before May 8 next. Fina»!y, the Court is required to deal with these applications in the light of the general policy of stabilisation. The Government is satisfied that no changes which may come about as a result of this provision will in their economic effects prejudice the success of stabilisation."