THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 20864, 6 August 1931, Page 6

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

[By J.S.S.I

Brief contributions on matters with refer once to the Labour Movement, are invited, UNIONS AND ARBITRATION COURT. In the heat of the resentment which was expressed against the Arbitration Court's order reducing wages suggestions were made that unions should seriously consider cancelling their registration under the I.C. and A. Act. Indeed. tiio open conference of unions which met in Wellington to discuss the Government's pronouncements in reference to wage reductions went so far as to pass a resolution couched in the following terms: —“That in the event of the Court of Arbitration reducing wages or worsening conditions of employment i i any award or industrial agreement before the expiry of that award or industrial agreement, the unions affected shall be advised by flu; National Committee to cancel their registration under the I.C. and A. Act. Maturer consideration, however, showed that such extreme action would be unwise and was opposed to the wishes of the majority of the unions. At a recent conference of the National Industrial Council the question was revived. The opinion was expressed that a bettor system of adjusting labour disputes would have t be evolved in the future if justice were to bo obtained for the workers. The criticism was advanced that the present method of industrial organisation, which had been established and fostered under tlve I.C. and A. Act, was not functioning in the best interests of the unions. The Act encourages the continued formation of local craft- unions, it is argued, and this keeps the workers in isolated groups. The difficulty is recognised, however, of establishing !) organisation of labour which can adjust all the disputes which arise from day to clay and which at present arc submitted to the Court of Arbitration for settlement. The stronger and larger unions believe that a move should he made in the direction, first, of grouping the smaller unions into larger organisations, and. secondly, of establishing councils in each centre which ■ mid co-operate with the Alliance of Labour in obtaining industrial agreements. The fear is expressed that the acceptance of wage reductions without protest may lead to the assumption on the part of employers, the Arbitration Court, and the Government that the workers are satisfied with the present standards of living. A prominent Dunedin union official states his opinion of the present industrial situation in the following terms: —It is the duty of every member of a trade union to assist his local and national organisations in the work of obtaining a high standard of for himself and his -follow-workers. While wo agree that political action can accomplish much, it is believed also that an effective industrial organsation is of great importance in protecting Ukj interests of ( e workers. Tin's can only bo established by complete unity in the industrial field and the workers following a progressive policy of self-reliance within their industrial organisation. ♦ * * * LABOURERS’ EXEMPTION CLAIM. The Dunedin Labourers’ Union does not intend to make a separate application for exemption from the general order of the Arbitration Court reducing award wages by 10 per rent. Com- ( munications with other centres have established the fact that there is a desire on the part of most minions to have one application heard in Wellington, which will represent the Haims of all the combined unions. Mr R. Harrison, secretary of the local union, has been advised bv Mr P. Butler, secretary of the Wellington Union, that Auckland is in favour of a combined application, as also are Hawke’s Bay and Now Plymouth. Tho Hawke's Bay employers, however, have raised an ohicction to the union’s proposal, and this will probably make a separate ivearing in Napier necessary. In view of the fact that the labourers are unlikely to succeed in obtaining exemption,’ and as n separate application 'means that each union has to cite each individual employer in the district it is considered that much needless labour and expense will be avoided as tin* result of the combined application. So far as the Dunedin City Council labourers are concerned, it is expected that a Haim to the court for exemption will bo made by the union. The council lias already indicated Hint it does not desire to’meet the union in the matter, taking the stand that no good purpose would be served by holding a. conference. The union believes that its members have good grounds for exemption on account, oi the tact that they arc the lowest-paid workers: employed by the council. SEAMEN’S GRIEVANCE. Seamen throughout Non- Zealand, particularly that large section which is unemployed display bitterness towards; the foreign shipping companies which are endeavouring to capture an increasing siiaiv ol our maritime trade. Union officials object to the I act that the foreign companies employ labour on wage scales and undei working conditions which arc much below New Zealand standards. At present hostility is shown to the activities ol an American company in the intercolonial trade, ft is said that in recent years conditions on most American ships have become worse, the pay being poor, and the hours long. Several jif the companies are paying only ffCxlol a month, and only two watches are kept, which means Unit the men work a twelve-hour day. it is claimed that the foreign companies arc - able to oust Now’ Zealand owners on account of the fact that they arc t heavily subsidised by their respective Governments. In regard to Amenta, an Act passed in 1!>28 established a fund ol 250 million dollars for lending money for building ships in the United States, up lo three-quarters of their cost, and at very low rail's of interest. In addition lo this, it is stated that the United States Government is giving large mail subsidies, which are believed to he greater than the .requirements of -mail carriage to China, Manila, or Australia. An American seamen’s journal, tho ‘ Marine Worker,’ gives details ol present conditions on American ships, which strengthen the . contention ol the New Zealand Seamen’s Union that American standards are a source ol danger to our own workers. Tho journal slates that drastic wage reductions are being made on practically all linos, and working coiidilions are worse now that they have _ been lor a long time. In coffinr-t it is pointed out that an able seaman on a vessel under New Zealand articles receives do Is per month for an eight-hour day, and 2s !kl per hour for all overtime worked. A fireman receives L‘l7 Is per month for an eight-hour day, and 2s !)d for overtime work'd. In addition, each seaman is entitled to lour hours off week, and an annual hol’day of fourteen days. The latest grievance recaljs mass demonstrations of protest which were made agamst the Japanese steamer, Brisbane Slam, last January. Tim waterside workers refused to handle the

cargo of this vessel on the grounds that tho Japanese threatened to underuii 11 u tlic living standards of Kew Zealand .seamen, as well as greatly accentuating (lie local nncinploynient problem. At the time reference was made to the tact that twenty-eight vessels were lied up around the New Zealand coast, whilst thousands of seamen, firemen, cooks, stewards, engineers, and officers wore unemployed. The rates of pay of tho Japanese .seamen arc stated to ho between and .tM per month, winch compares very badly with local conditions. It is contended that in many countries to-day governni nts are subsidising vessels in order to obtain tho shipping of other countries, In most cases, officials claim, where a subsidy is paid lower wages arc paid to the seamen on tho vessels, and this tended hi lower the standards of all workers.