THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

Evening Star, Issue 21722, 17 May 1934, Page 14

THE LABOUR MOVEMENT

[By J.S.S.]

Brief contributions on matters with reference to the Labour Movement are invited. NEW ZEALAND WORKERS’ UNION. For official positions on the New Zealand Workers’ Union during the 193435 season, the following were among those selected: —Delegates to next animal conference and members of National Executive Council, Otago and Southland district, Mr M. J. Hickey (Balfour) ; South Island construction workers, Air S. P. Webster (Waitaki Hydro) ; organiser, Air J. Deckle, who was also selected as a national vice-pre-sident. * * * * TEAHOOAI AND RESTAURANT WORKERS. Trade unionists regard as satisfactory the recent successful handling by the Alliance of Labour of the Wellington tearoom and restaurant workers’ dispute—the first award to be made since the amendment of the Arbitration Act. The wages clauses agreed upon will be of interest to Dunedin workers. Regarding work done-on holidays, waitresses, housemaid-waitresses, pantrynntids, relieving maids, linen maids, laundresses, and housemaids will receive 3s extra; porters, kitchen hands, cooks, and other workers receiving less than 50s weekly, 4s: and all other workers ss. Cooks shall receive the following wages:—Where four cooks are employed—Chief eook, £4 10s (female, £4 Os 6d); second cook, £3 4s (female, £2 16s 9d); third, £2 5s (£2); fourth, £2 2s (£1 17s 6d). Where three cooks are employed—Chief, .£3 18s (£3 10s) ; second, £2 ,10s (£2 ss); third, £2 2s (£1 17s 6d). Where two cooks are employed—Chief, £2 18s (£2 10s) ; second, £2 2s (£1 17s 6d). Where one cook is employed, £2 5s (£2). Where one cook is employed and no kitchen hand is employed, £2 2s 6d (£1 17s 6d). Kitchen hands, £2 2s 6cl (£1 10s); waiter. £2 2s 6d; head waitress (if. three or more waitresses arc employed), £1 13s; other waitresses, £1 10s; housemaidwaitress, £1 10s; housemaid, £1 10s; pantrymaid, £1 10s; laundress, £1 10s; tincninaicl, £1 10s; relieving maid, £1 10s; pantryman, £2 0s Gel; porters, etc.—day 2s Os 6d, night £2 2s 3d; general hands —male £2 0s 6d, female £1 17b 3d; bar attendants and counter hands or dispensers in marble bars—male £2 2s 6d. female £1 10s. The period of probation shall be for two years, and during this period the probationer shall be entitled to the loltowing rates of pay;—First six months, 17s Oct; second six months, £1 2s (id; third six months, £1 7s 6d; fourth six months, £1 12s (3d. The following shall he tlie minimum rates for casual workers;—First cook, 15s per day; second cook, 12s Qcl per day; all other workers, 7s Gd per day. Where work is performed away from the employers’ premises, such as at races, banquets, balls, outings, etc., the following minimum rates of wages shall bo paid;—First cook, 17s 6d per day: second cook, 15s per day; all other workers, 10s per day. All workers other than cooks who are employed at the. function only shall be paid not less than 6s. if employed for three and a-half hours or less, and for any time exceeding three and a-half hours at the rate of Is per hour for every additional hour worked. A single meal shall mean a breakfast, dinner, luncheon, .tea, or supper. * * * * RELIEF WORKERS’ ORGANISATION. The annual conference of the New Zealand Labour Party, held in Christchurch at Easter, decided against allowing affiliations from relief workers’ organisations, but it is understood (says- the Christchurch ‘Times’) that the Alliance of Labour is considering the question of organising the unemployed, and will discuss the position with.the party in the near future. A letter has been received by the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee from an unemployed man in a forestry camp stating that he was convinced that organisations controlled by the Labour Party would have far-reaching results, and would restore to a very large degree that measure of hope so badly needed amongst the unemployed to-day. “ One big union of unemployed in New Zealand, sponsored by the Labour Party,” added the writer, “ would, in my opinion, be an effective barrier against further attacks on our standard of living, and be of invaluable assistance to all who would combat that extreme section that is slowly and surely gaining ground in our midst.” The regrettable division in the ranks of the organised relief workers throughout New Zealand cannot but weaken their efforts to gain common justice. There is not room for two national unemployed relief workers’ organisations, and the sooner the majority of the men realise this and rectify the matter the better for all. The position is aggravated by the fact that the supporters of each national body arc clearly in opposition on important points of policy. The remedy is in the hands of the rank and file. If it wore generally recognised by the unemployed that divided they fall, an endeavour would bo made to ensure that representatives of each organisation meet for the purpose of arriving at a basis of settlement which would enable all local unions distributed throughout the country to affiliate with one central organisation that could speak and act for all.— ‘ New Zealand Worker ’ editorial. * * * ♦ SIX CARDINAL POINTS. President Roosevelt, addressing 4,000 delegates representing COO code authorities, stressed six cardinal points as being necessary for quick industrial recovery. These were: —(1) increased wages, coupled with reduced hours, to provide work for the unemployed. Reduced hours coupled with reduced earnings won’t do. It amounts to a forced contribution to unemployment relief by the class least able to bear it. (2) Speed in bringing the above provision about, because the Federal Government cannot continue to bear the entire burden of unemployment. (3) The reorganisation of the social system will Ikj permanent, and we will never return to the old methods. Alaldistribution of wealth and power must be prevented. (4) Small industries must be protected under any scheme of operation agreed to by the code authorities. (5) While the N.11.A. supplants the anti-trust laws of the United States, the underlying purpose of these laws must be upheld. Free and fair competition must be preserved and monopolies must be prevented. (6) Labour must be guaranteed a free choice of representatives to speak for it in bargaining with its employers.

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR DISUNITY. The only move so far made by Scullin supporters against the increasing tide of opposition to the Federal Executive (says the ‘ Sydney Labour Daily ’) has been the calling of a special meeting of the .Melbourne metropolitan council of the, Australian Labour Parte to review

the decision fox - tho special rank and fde intor-Stato confei-ence. Nevertheless, tho leading members of the council are determined that conference shall bo held, and intense campaigning is being conducted to secure this object. There are rumours that Mr Scullin xvili be asked to retire before tho issue comes up for discussion before the next State A.L.P. conference. Apart from general discontent, there were two specific charges against the Federal Labour leaders, instructions from tho Victorian A.L.P. conference aiming at unity had been ignored, and later Mr Scullin had ignored the instructions to vote for unity on a certain basis. * * + * NEW GERMAN LABOUR LAW. Germany’s new labour law came into force on May i. Dr Franv, Seldte, Labour Minister in the German Reich, in a recent propaganda statement explains what is being done.' Lie said that the emphasis laid on the idea of Leadership in the economics of Germany, the elimination of contrasts between classes, under which German economy has broken down, and tho emphasis laid on social honour in the conduct of affairs are the national and Socialistic foundations upon which this work is raised. Tho person undertaking an enterprise is given the title of loader of tho enterprise. That the freedom allowed him shall he turned to good account and that tho privileges acorded him shall not lead to any act of despotism on his part arc accounted for in the fact that ho is amenable to a social Court of Honour, a court now set up probably for the first time in the whole world by this statute. “In business wc bring the leaders and retainers together. The labour situation has been transformed info one of faith. _ In future the rights of labour, the rights and duties of ail. members of the community of labour will be derived, not from' contractual terms and conditions put on paper, but from tho live idea of fidelity, the fidelity of the leader to his retainers, and of the latter to their leader. The owner of tho enterprise or any person charged by him with tho responsible management of tlio business xvili in future act as loader of the employees. The exclusion of all irresponsible pobctxvcons xvili bring and xvili force the leader and retainers ’’together and will ensure the necessary community of labour and the necessary mutiiaT confidence. In large businesses this very close community of labour will not be possible. In such cases the statute makes provision for fiduciary intermediaries xvbo, as members of the general xvorkiug bodies, xvili assist the loader in a consultative capacity and xvili, under bis direction, constitute a Board of Confidence, thus doing axvay with policy dictated by self-interest as has hitherto been usual. Conflicting interests xvili ho a thing of the past; there xvili be only one interest in common, the business, xvhich provides them with xvork and xvith a living. The Board of Confidence is appointed for purposes of co-operation in the regulation of xvorkiug conditions and xvili co-operate in the safeguarding of the business and in the settlement of any disputes xvhich may arise. Social honour xvili in future constitute the basis of tho community of labour. The development of this idea of social honouiand the setting up o f a special court of honour constitute one of the cores of the statute. A special clause, dealing exhaustively and protectively with the question of, notice, has been included xvith a view to strengthening social obligations in all bxisincsses.” * sic * * ATTITUDE TO “ NEW DEAL.” The Federation of Labour, representing 81 per cent, of the trade union members, definitely supports the National Recovery Act, or xvhat is termed the “Nexv Deal.” Speaking at the 1933 conference, Mr ~ Green stated; “ Noxv the tide has turned. They (the members of the conference) believe that the old deal lias gone. They accept the meaning of the noxv deal liberally, as a, change, as a nexv outlook, as a ixexv policy, something new for Labour. And so xve see on every hand workers of the nation endeavouring through concerted action to bring into their .lives and into their homes and their communities the real principles, the real benefits of tho nexv deal that has been so emphatically and so enthusiastically announced. Wc have been proceeding upon that theory. As a result of it, operating under the Industrial Recox’ery Act, since hist June, industrial codes of fair practice have been formulated and applied to most of the major industries of the nation. We have been xvorkiug and co-operating in every possible way. We have given of our time and our service in order to make the programme a complete success, and xvhile xve have been engaged in developing and applying these industrial codes of fair practice to the major industries of the nation, xve have been conscious of the fact that it has all been carried on in the midst of great confusion.” * * * * JAPANESE STRIKERS. Tt was reported from JjOs Angeles, California, recently, that the Japanese strikers of the four U.S. cafes won their strike after a week of refusing to arbitrate xvith the “bosses” of the Japanese Restaurant Owners’ Association and the Japanese Chamber or Commerce. The strike was hacked by the Food Workers’ Industrial Union. So effective xvas the picketing during the strike that one of the cales did not have even one customer during the lunch hour. Hired gangsters sent to break up the picket line were bested xvith jiu-jitsu by the the pickets, following successful conclusion of the strike, the workers marched through the Japanese section of the city with placards announcing their victory. Demantis won were a. one-year contract, rohiring of all strikers, an increase oi two dollars or more per xveek for all workers, a day off a xveek, recognition of the Japanese Restaurant Workers Union, and ten-hour day xvith one hour for meals for men workers, and eighthour day for the women.