THE RIGHT TO STRIKE.

Evening Star, Issue 14625, 22 July 1911, Page 12

THE RIGHT TO STRIKE.

, •• v 0 , BIG INDUSTRIAL PROBLEM. UNIONS RENOUNCING ARBITRATION. fSpECIAIi TO THB STAR.] AUCKLAND, July.22. In the North there is to be a big industrial fight in the near future as to whether unions will cancel registration under tho Arbitration Act, and resort to strikes when industrial disputes ha.ve to be settled. Already the Miners' Unions, the Shearers' Union," the aerated waters and brewery employees, and the General Laborers' Union have joined issue in this renunciation of the Arbitration Act. Now the Auckland Tramways Employees' Union appear to bo about to do likewise. Tho position is summed up in the speeches made by Messrs Scott Bennett and W. E. Parry, who waited upon tho tramways employees on Thursday night, and stated the ease for industrial unionism. Mr Scott Bennett-spoke on the theoretic aspect, of industrial unionism. He pointed out that the employers had organised as a whole, and not only on sectional linos. The employers had found it profitable to organise on class lines, and whv should not the workers also follow their example? The federation were not opposed to political action, but they considered that they con id bring about a bigger result and a quicker one by industrial action. They did not advocate a general strike, but would meet employers in conference first. He would rather put it that they would bring about an industrial lock-out of the employers from the industries if they did not give reasonable working conditions to their employees. The New Zealand Federation of Labor were tho nearest approach to the requisite organisation for meeting the employers on their own lines. Industrial unionism had to take the place of the old sectional unionism, which had served its turn, bacause of changed industrial conditions. ' Mr W. K. Parry, president of the Waihi Miners' Union, addressed the meeting on how the Federation of Labor helped the miners in their recent agreement with tho employers at Waihi. They had secured more "in the recent conference than they had ever secured from any case before the Arbitration Court. Under tho Court award, he said, the employers wore allowed to keep hack pay from tho miners evory pav dav. They also kept in hand as much as*2s per cent, of the contractors' money. This hnd been reduced by half, and next time thoy woidd abolish it altogether. In addition*to these improvements, they had secured a rise of pay to tho miners. In their List case before the Court some five or six vears ago overwhelming evidence was adduced by the union in opposition to th"se payments being kept back, but the Judge simply told them that the Court did not see their way to make any alteration. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the deputation at both, meetings, and after hearing a deputation from the rival the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Employees' Federation date Trades and Labor Council), a week heuco, the union will take a ballot on the ques- . tion of affiliation with one of the two organisations. I