THE LABOR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 19698, 27 October 1927, Page 15

THE LABOR MOVEMENT

[By Veiejun.]

Brief'contributions on matters with reference to the Labor Movement are invited. NEW ARBITRATION BILL. The proposed amendment to the I.C. and A. Act is the chief subject of discussion among the trade unions and other Labor organisations at the present time. Many resolutions of protest against the amendment have been passed. Strange to say, some of those protests come from a body of men who only about two years ago, were demanding the abolition of the Act, but the Alliance of Labor now begins to see the position they, along with all other labor organisations, will bo placed in should this proposed amendment bo passed. It will be a much more serious blow to the trade union movement than the British Trades Disputes Bill passed by the Baldwin Government. Section 11 of the Bill proposes to exempt from its operation some thousands of workers that are engaged in primary industries except as specifically provided for in section 21, which says: “The Minister may at any time, if satisfied that a strike or lock-out in any industry is likely to take place, or at any time during the continuance of a strike or lock-out require any person engaged in connection with such industry, whether as employers or workers, and representatives of industrial unions or associations or other bodies of employers or workers to meet in conference.” The Minister will appoint the chairman of such conference. If any person so required to attend does not attend such conference he is liable to a fine of fifty pounds. The proposed constitution ot the court will certainly not be an improvement on the method at present obtaining. Section 2 and its seven subsections contain many provisions that will bo strongly opposed by both employers and employees, especially subsection C, winch provides that evidence may be taken in certain circumstances by the judge alone, which looks as if it would prolong tho settlement of disputes considerably. In regard to the appointment of members of conciliation councils, and also the appointment of arbitrators it would seem that there is a good deal of power placed in the hands of the Conciliation Commissioners. Up to the present time all parties have always acknowledged _ tho absolute fairness and impartiality of the Conciliation Commissioners, and it is to bo hoped that it will continue to be so. Section 16 will bo a hindrance to getting competent men to act as assessors or arbitrators. It always has been easy to give other than tho real reason for any action, and men may bo chary of taking risks that may interfere with the earning of their living. • * * * A JOINT PROGRAMME. “ The spring of 1929 is looked upon as the likely time for the nest appeal to the country, and there is therefore time for the formulation of a plan by which the electors may escape from the dilemma ot a choice between a stick-in-the-mud Government and a programme of wild speculation and endless expenditure. As time goes on the need tor a new political combination becomes more and more apparent, and what i suggest is that the Liberal and Labor leaders should come together and agree on a programme of rclorm which uotli parties can support, and widen tne country can understand. \Vith a little give and take there could ho found enough common ground to occupy the joint energies ol Liberals and Laborites lor tho next twenty years. There is no need of fusion or the sacrifice of ultimate aims, but 1 think the electors arc entitled to have placed before them clear-cut issues between stagnation and progress instead of the nightmare of chaos presented to them at tho last general election. For the present the only practicable alternative to Baldwinito sterility is a Liberals-Labor Coalition, and that being so, 1 suggest that some hard thinking on moderate lines before the approach of dissolution is tar preferable to anything like a repetition of our first experiment in government by Labor. The electors are entitled to know what they are voting for, and that-their votes have a chance of bein n- effective, and tho only way to ensure that is a friendly temporary arrangement between the progressive forces, loading tu tho presentation of, say, a live-years’ policy which all citizens desirous of an escape from tho present impasse can support with some prospect ot success. The only aitei nance in view is the prolongation ot the present visionlcss regime, with its crushing burdens ot taxation, bad trade, and wholesale pauperisation. “Scrutator,” in Liverpool ‘Post. The Now Zealand Liberal and Labor Parlies would be wise to adopt the advice given in tho above.

LABOR’S WIDER VISION. j The proceedings of the Trade Union Congress this year have indicated a. welcome return to sanity. The unions arc still suffering from the strike policy which brought them to the veige of ruin, and the influence of the strikemongers has waned. The better balanced elements in the Labor movement are reasserting themselves, and it is realised that trade unionism must adopt a constructive policy if it is to prove of benefit to the workers. Tide was really the keynote of the president’s address, and he urged that employers and employees should co-operate in order to raise the general standard of industry. We have repeatedly urged such a course of action,' and we welcome this attitude on the part of the Trade Union Congress. There is a better spirit abroad, and this encourages the hope that various industries will tackle their difficulties in a helpful way instead of lighting over them. If a wrangling, lignting policy is displaced by a policy of co-operation this will prove an immense gain to the working class. The employers will have to play"their part, and wo trust there will be a ready response to Labor’s offer of co-operation. The Trade Union Congress wisely decided to sever the. alliance with the Russian unions. In fact, after the insuiting and nhusivo messages from Soviet Russia there was no other choice for men who retained a vestige of independence and self-respect The trade union movement has consistently rejected Communism, and the fraternal relations with Russia vycre far from fraternal. The Bolsheviks have exhibited their fraternity by abusing Labor’s trusted representatives in an 'astonishing manner, and_ it must bo evident to every worker in this country that the despots who are misruling Russia have placed themselves beyond the pale. Mr Ramsay MacDonald, as a delegate of the Labor Party to congress, took the opportunity of outlining Labor’s policy if returned to power at the next election. His chief point was that n Labor Government would repeal the. Trade Union Act. If Labor is to meet with any considerable measure of success at the next General Election the extremists will have to be suppressed, and a sane and moderate policy will have to be agreed upon. This country has no love for extremists, whether they call themselves Tories or Socialists; and fantastic schemes which would ruin the credit of the country will not win support for the Labor Party.—Liverpool ‘Post.’ * # « * OVERLAPPING OF UNIONS. The Port Adelaide Trades and Labor Council meeting was cancelled to allow of a conference being held on the question of the overlapping of unions. That took place at the Storemen and Packers’ rooms Mr S. Robinson (vice- i president of the Trades and Labor I Council) was in the chair. Three delegates w’ere present from each of the unions involved, and also the executive

of tho council. Unions represented were tho Waterside Workers, Carters and Drivers. Storemen and Packers, Carpenters and Joiners, Chemical Workers, Millers and Mill Employees, Seamen’s Union, Enginedrivers and Firemen, Timber Workers, and Clerks. The meeting was adjourned, and each organisation was requested to come prepared to place before the conference their claims for a line of demarcation as far as their union’s work was concerned.