THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20118, 7 March 1929, Page 7

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

' ' [By J.S.S.]

Brief contributions on mailers wilh ' rlcrcnce to the Labor Movement are invited. ADVICE TO UNIONS. The New Zealand Alliance of Labour is circulating all unions protesting against the practice of certain unions making claims lor new agreements or awards which have been often against the best interests of the Labour movement. There is a feeling that the protest is timely, for it is common knowledge that some of the smaller unions have sacrificed concessions, often the result of years of work, in a most loolish manner. It wn» decided at the annual conference of th<% alliance that unions, both affiliated and unafiiliatecl, be advised to submit to the alliance copies of any proposals lor new agreements or awards that would be dealt with by the Conciliation Council or Arbitration Court. It was felt,that the two main questions ol the basic wage and length of working week could best be dealt with by the alliance, and that it could advise all organisations as to wether their claims were in lino with the policy of the national body and the trade union movement generally. It was also decided at the conference to obtain copies of all awards, and thus formulate a definite national policy on questions of hours, wages, and conditions of work. * # * * THE FORTY-HOUR WEEK. The remedy suggested for unemployment by prominent people in the Labour -world is a shorter working week. The question was discussed at the recent conference of the Alliance of Labour, when it was agreed that in all claims fur new agreements a fortyhour week should bo stressed and iought tor. Various remedies fur unemployment were suggested at the conference, such as the organisation of the unemployed and a scheme of insurance; but the final decision was in favour of a shorter working week, it was felt that the introduction of improved machinery increased production considerably and displaced many workers. The employers were-so far the only gainers, and the one way for the workers to share in the benefits of machinery -without causing hardships to other workers was by means of a shorter week. To obtain a forty-hour week would represent an economic advancement in the sense that there would be far more jobs to‘go round. * » * * THE CAR P ENTERING TRADE.

Dunedin curries a. larger quota of carpenters than the size of the city, and the building activity therein, warrant. Dunedin, compared with Web lington, is slow in development, and nowhere is this better exemplified than in the building trade. In Wellington, although governed by the same dominion award rates, carpenters are able to demand several shillings a claymore than minimum rates. This is the ciiieet result of the demand for labour for tbo erection of large buildings bymain distributing firms who are concentrating their "activities in the capital city. ■ Locally, carpenters continue .o suffer from the aftermath of the inlinx of 300 odd other carpenters who arrived at Exhibition time, and of whom about a hundred made Dunedin their permanent abode. Fifty competent tradesmen are on the boohs of Mr W. Cf. Baird, secretary of the Dunedin Carpenters and Joiners’ Union as out of work. Many may bo found, too, on relief navvying works, - and in sheep stations or harvesting camps, having thrown jip hope of getting jobs they were trained for. The secretary states that lie can see no prospect of any i improvement in the near future, and that he has been forced to advise young men just out of their time, who cannot expect to compete with older and more experienced men, to seek work ia oilier centres. The decrease in country work affects men locally, conditions being at a standstill in most countrytowns. Mr Bail'd is able to assist the members of his union by keeping in dose touch with all contemplated works, and many employers, too. use his unemployed lists from which to select those men they require. it * * * INV ALIDITY PENSIONS.' Franco, the country which has practically no unemployment, has made a big step forward in its social legislation by introducing invalidity pensions. These pensions at present are only established provisionally for five years. After the expiry of this period, the incapacitated person will have to undergo another medical examination, in order to ascertain whether lie is still completely disabled. Should he be still si his pension will be. renewed for five more years; but only after three medical examinations will his pension be granted for life. Incapacitated persons must submit to regular inspections ordered by the insurance officer or doctors, and when considered to be of) per cent, normal cease to ho eligible.—l.F.T.U. Dress Service. » * # «. EUROPEAN CONDITIONS. A statement of the working hours in sixteen countries of the Old World is contained in ‘ Press Reports,’ (issued by the International Federation of Trade Unions, Amsterdam) in the latest issue to hand. An inquiry was made as to the hours actually worked among the affiliated centres, and covered a total of 5,424,206 workers employed in 113,674 undertakings. Of these 5,424,206 workers 7.4 per cent, were doing short time work, 7.9 were working under forty-eight hours (apart from, short time work), 60.6 forty-eight hours, 8.4 over forty-eight hours, 12 per cent, over fifty-one hours, 3.1 over 54 hours, ami 0.3 over sixty hours. Thus 68.5 per cent, of the workers did not do more than forty-eight hours, which is at least a sign of progress in Europe. * * * * FRENCH OLD AGE PENSIONS. Under the social insurance system now prevailing in France, insured persons who have reached the age of sixty years are eligible for an old age pension. The insured person may demand that the payment of this pension shall be postponed until be is sixty-five. The pension will be 40 per cent, of the average annual wage, and will be computed on the basis of the. compulsory contributions as paid every year after the attainment of the age of 16 years. Contributions must be paid for thirty full years. During the interim, that is, the period up to the date when the law will have been in force for thirty years (twenty that it can operate normally) the insured person is eligible for a pension amounting to as many thirtieths of the normal pension as he has paid annual contributions. , When a person has paid live annual contributions the law -guarantees a minimum. pension of 600 francs per year.—l.F.T.U./Press Service. ,* * * *f ECONOMIC LIBERTY. Political liberty is a mockery with- • out economic liberty. No man is in any sense free as long as he is in enforced dependence upon some other man for the apportiwjity to earn his

livelihood. No individual or political rights are secured without security and equality of economic opportunity. Equality before law and institutions must be based on equality of opportunity and access to the resources which Nature, our common mother, gave to all people in common. If the State permits a few men to own the earth, then these few own the rights, liberties, and well-being of the people who must live on the earth.—Professor G. D. Herron. * * * • RUSSIAN INDUSTRY. Up to February of last year the eight-hour day was in force throughout Russian industry, except under certain circumstances (e.g,, underground workers, difficult, or dangerous accupations) where six hours was the rule. Since February the seven-hour day has been introduced into twentyseven enterprises, employing 125,000 workers. All new factories commence on seven-hour basis. By 1929 it was planned to accomplish, the transition to the seven-hour day in 200 factories, employing 240,000 workers. Production in 1927-28, according to tables, increased by 20 per cent.-, and the output per day per worker increased by 3.4 per cent. Tho number of workers in industry increased by about 135 to the thousand, and the total monthly wage hill rose by 17.9 per cent.—London Labour Research Department.