THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19632, 11 August 1927, Page 16

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veteran.]

Brief contributions on matters with r.tercnc* (fl the Labor Movement are invited. THE APPRENTICES ACT, On November 21, 102 J, the Arbitration Court made an order dealing with the training of apprentices. Tito Apprenticeship Committee or anyone affected by such order of the court may make application tort bo court to have tbo order amended. 1 understand that the Otago and Southland Painters’ Apprenticeship Committee made application to the court on July 29 last to have the order amended by adding alter clause 3 the following:—“Clause 3 (a): Every employer desiring to employ an apprentice in any branch or branches of the trade shall before engaging the proposed apprentice make application in writing to the Apprenticeship Committee, and the committee shall either grant or refuse the apprentice after inquiring into the facilities within the scope of the proposed employer’s business for teaching the proposed apprentice the branch of branches of the trade.’’ It must be remembered that there are on the committee an equal number of employers ami workers, with the addition of an officer of the Labor Department ns secretary, so it may he taken for granted that the application is_ unanimous. Word has hern received in Dunedin that the application has been granted by the court. Under the heading , ‘ Our Apprentices,’ “ Industrial Trump,” in the Auckland ‘Star,’ has th” 6 following:—. “ I have received a letter hearing on the conditions of' apprentices from ‘Parent,’ who writes: ‘Prom time to time we see different views expressed upon the Apprentices Act, generally by the employers’ or workers’ associations, either condemning or extolling its provisions, but a recent case at, Crcymuuth in which two apprentices were fined os each for not attending evening classes at the Technical School, as ordered by the local Engineering Trades’ Apprenticeship Committee, has caused mo to ask you to publish my opinion of the Act from a parent’s point of view. When my son was apprenticed to the engineering trade it was upon the clear understanding of the apprenticeship order that he would diligently and faithfully obey, serve the employer as liis apprentice' for the prescribed term, and that the employer, to the best of liis power, skill, and knowledge, would train and instruct my son or cause him to be trained and instructed in accordance with the provisions of the Apprentices Act, 1923. Another provision of tiie order states that, subject to any statute, the hours to ho worked by an apprentice shall be those normally worked by journeymen in the trade. Now, should I have cause to complain that my son is not being efficiently taught his trade or that his employer has not the facilities for teaching him, the Apprenticeship Committee may order my son to attend evening classes of the technical school for tuition,'and in the event of this happening it docs not appear to me to be equitable to the apprentice for several reasons; (1) That the employer should lie thus relieved, or partly relieved, of Ids obligations under the contract of apprenticeship without damages being claimed; (2) that the parents or guardians of the apprentice have to pay the school fees, which may be returnable to them only on condition that the apprentice shall make not less than 7o per cent, of the maximum attendances; (3) that should the apprentice refuse to attend the technical school he is liable to be prosecuted and fined; fT) that should the apprentice, in attending school, meet with an accident or he caused bodily injury, the employer and also the Apprenticeship Committee arc free I ruin compensation; (of that the number of hours per week that he has to attend at tl,ie school is not remitted Irom his ordinary hours of employment. In my opinion the (true has arrived when these matters should receive serious consideration, and I suggest a protection association of parents and guardians of apprentices should he lonnod lor this purpose.’ ’’ A case has just come under my notice where a youth had served over three years kith a linn in Auckland, ami for family reasons lie had to come to Dunedin with his mother. r l his young follow found a firm in Dunedin that was willing to allow him to finish his time after reading the recommendation given the apprentice by the Auckland firm, where he had served three years and four months'; hut ho was informed that the Dunedin firm could not take him until they had more journeymen employed. The young man says lie had boon informed that provision was made in the Act to meet cases like his. He came to me for advice, so I told him to see the Apprenticeship Committee or the officer in charge of the-Labor Department, who would give him the necessary information in regard to Lis position. One would think that any employer would be glad to accept, an apprentice with a, recommendation alter over throe years’ service from an employer.

WORKERS IN THE UNITED STATIC. In llio message which it is cu.-lomary for the President ol' the United .Slates to deliver to Congress every year (lie situation of industrial workers is dcalt with, mid ;i( tontiou is drown, m tins coinieetioii, to tile defects winch are still in be, observed in record lo workino conditions in Ibe United Stoic.-. '■’Skilled tiihor,” says the President, “is well compensated. Hnt there tire unfortunately a mnllilude of workers who 1 1:1 ve not yet conic lo shore in the general prosperity of Hie nation.’’ ’I In; message recommends the public authorities and private enterprises to he solicitous to advance the welfare of this class of workers. Among the measures designed lo improve the situation of the unskilled worker, the President refers to workmen's compensation lor accidents. It may he pointed out in this connection that such compensation is already provided in forty-two out of the lortveiglit States. On the other hand, legislation is practically noii-exi.-lent with regard to other forms of social insurance, little having been accomplished in this sphere with the exception of certain measures, taken on the initiative of individual employers or institutions. ■The passage devoted lo the coal industry is also worthy of note! In the United States, as elsewhere, this industry is a- cause of grave anxiety lo the Government, particularly from iho point of view of the relations between (lie miners and the owners of the mines. The President accordingly tecommcncls the passage of such legislation as will assist the executive in dealing with the possibility of a conflict arising in Iho course of the. next feiv months, which might imperil flic public interest.

COMPENSATION FOR ACCIDENT. I have just comp across an interesting case of a, claim for compensation for accident in Liverpool,_ England. The case was heard by a, jury. The following is the, report of the case as given in the Liverpool ‘Post ’ of June 16. A claim for damages by Francis Markey (nineteen), 8S Upper Pitt

street, Liverpool, painter, who was hit on tlio head by an iron drum which fell while he was painting the hull of the Orbita, in Alexandra Dock, last November, was concluded in, the Civil Court, at Liverpool Assizes, on Thursday. Defendants, the Pacific Steam Navigation Company, had denied liability. Markey, who was knocked insensible off a platform, fell 10ft; on' to a pontoon. His nose was cut and permanently injured internally; five of his teeth were knocked out ; ho did'not recover consciousness until, the next day; and was off work three months, since when, owing to dizziness, he said, lie could not do stage or ladder painting. ~ For the defence Mr J. E. Singleton, K.C., said that the five men comprising the shore gang of the company, who were cleaning up the dock; emphatically denied throwing anything over the" side of the vessel. The company refuted the accusation against their employees, and desired it should be investigated. They were working on the ship at the time other men belonging to other firms—ships’ painters and repairers—who were nincli more likolv to have thrown the drum overhoard Ilian were the experienced men employed l\y the owners, who knew it was against the regulations. The jury found for plaintiff, who was awarded £3OO and costs.

TRADE DISPUTES AND CONCILIATION. The following appears in a loader in the Liverpool ‘.Post’ of June 18: “ With the aid of the guillotine arid a big majority the Trade Disputes Bill has passed through the committee stage with its ambiguous phrases that promise work for the lawyers. Even its sponsors are not proud of this changeling, and the opinion is general that it will not have a lengthy life in its present shape. For the time being Air Baldwin has appeased his diehards and is losing votes at- the by-elections. v The Trade Disputes Bill is already a failure from an electioneering point of view, and yet if the Prime Minister had followed the course wo urged at the outset and appointed a commission to examine trade union law, and based his legislation on its report he would have rendered a distinct service to every section of the community.

“As it is, a bitter and suspicions atmosplicro has been engendered, and this was apparent when Sir Leslie Scott moved a clause making a strike or lockout illegal for one month after the reference to a conciliation tribunal under the 1 ndustrial Courts Act. There was general agreement that conciliation in industrial matters is highly desirable, but Labor regards the Trade Disputes Bill as a direct attack on trade unionism. Hero the matter ended, with the Minister of Labor promising to appoint a committee to examine Sir Leslie Scott’s proposal, though the Government did not think it worth while to appoint a committee or commission to examine trade union law. “It is generally agreed that the only sensible way of settling industrial disputes is by arbitration and not by strikes and lockouts. Employers and employees in this country have hitherto been opposed to compulsory arbitration. Sir Leslie Scott quoted the Canadian model; but in order to get over the difficulty of compulsory arbitration he suggested a limit of a month during which a strike or lockout would be illegal. This is a step towards compulsory arbitration; but Sir Leslie Scott was content with making a few suggestions, for the details would have to he filled in by agreement between employers and employees. Passing over any difficulties which may arise in this way, there is one great difficulty which has been created by the Trade Disputes Bill. The right to strike is linked up with criminality in a very perplexing and confusing way; and until this ground is cleared Labor is likely to resist any further legislation such as Sir Leslie Scott proposed. Apart from the merits or demerits of Sir Lo.Jie Scott’s proposal, conciliation in industry is essential; and we trust that in the immediate future politicians will address themselves to this task instead of pandering to party interests and prejudices.”