THE WORD “INDUSTRY"

Evening Star, Issue 22718, 4 August 1937, Page 12

THE WORD “INDUSTRY"

DECISION OF COURT OF APPEAL SIMILAR INTERPRETATION IN AUSTRALIA GOVERN KENT TO CONSIDER LEGISLATIVE ACTION [Pee United Peess Association.] WELLINGTON, August 4. Tie Acting Minister of, Labour says tie attention of the Government has been drawn to tie recent decision of the Court of Appeal in regard to the meaning of the word ‘‘industry ” _as defined by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925. Under the court’s decision this is held to mean an industry in which both employer and his workers are engaged. For over 30 years the Court of Arbitration has adopted the view that industry may refer either to a business in which an employer and his workers are engaged or -to an occupation of workers irrespective of the nature of their employers’ business. “ It will he seen, therefore, that the decision of the Court of Appeal will have very far-reaching effects, and the Government has. therefore had to consider what legislative action, if any, it proposes to take to meet the position.

“A similar question arose in the Commonwealth of Australia Hi 1911, the same interpretation being placed on the word ‘industry’ in the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act as has been done in the Court of Appeal here.

“As a result the Commonwealth legislature passed an amendment to the Act to make it clear that the term ‘industry’ could refer also to occupations of workers irrespective of the class'of business carried on 'by the employers, and this legislation was made applicable to all organisations affected by the decision as if the amended definition of industry had been in force at the date of the registration of such organisations. “ Apart altogether from the question as to which is the more durable form of organisation, it is clear that a considerable amount of confusion will result from the decision of the Court of Appeal, not only so far as clerical unions are concerned, but also amongst long-established unions- in other callings, and the Government _ that the proper course ,to adopt is to introduce legislation along the same lines as was done in the Commonwealth of Australia.”