Carpenters’ Dispute— Reported Stiffening Of Government’s Attitude

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1948, Page 2

Carpenters’ Dispute— Reported Stiffening Of Government’s Attitude

(SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT)

■ ' WELLINGTON, This Day. No instructions that the fines imposed, on officials of the Carpenters’ Union will be remitted have been issued, or are likely w issued, by the Government, I was informed tonight when discuss g at a high level the request made by the council of the-F e er Labour to the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and the Minister or justice, Mr Mason, that the Government ;should take this course in connection with the recent prosecutions. . . , Rather than any move to remit the fines, the impression 1 gained was that the Government’s attitude is stiffening further, and I learned that there will be gazetted on Thursday certain new regulations which will bear upon the present industrial troubles.

The position regarding the recent prosecutions is that under the Industrial Conciliation, and Arbitration Act, under which the prosecutions were brought, there is no fixed period for the collection of fines, which are treated as civil fines. There is, therefore, no question of a summary casting into prison of a debtor who has been fined by the court. Such fines can be recovered by the simple process of attaching the debtor’s weekly pay, though there is a limit fixed by law beyond which it is not possible to impoverish such a man in such circumstances. Therefore the suggestion that fines unpaid might lead to early action being taken against the defaulter appear to be highly unlikely. Furthermore, it was pointed out in informed circles that the Government would be placed in an impossible position if it accedM to the federation’s request to remit the fines imposed on union officials, but proceeded to collect similar fines imposed on the employers, of whom several have also been fined during the present trouble. Either way, the position is “loaded” in the political sense and the Government, even if it should be desirous of giving _ some concession xo the federation in the interests of obtaining industrial peace, would find it very difficult to concede the remission of the fines on union officials without destroying such added mana as its recent stand against trouble-makers has gained for it.

SUPPORT GIVEN GOVERNMENT AT L.R.C. MEETING t

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Votes of confidence in the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser), the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan), and the Labour Government as a whole were carried last evening at a special meeting of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee. The meeting was convened to give Mr Fraser and Mr McLagan an opportunity to discuss events in the recent carpenters’ dispute, and immense interest in it was taken in political and industrial Labour circles. The attendance of about 200 was described as the biggest ever known at a meeting of the committee, and it included many present as observers from other labour- representation committees in the province. “First Political Strike” The resolutions passed are regarded as an important success for the Government. Many references were made in the speeches to Communism, and Mr McLagan described the carpenters’ dispute as the “first political strike.” The press was not admitted to the meeting. Mr F. L. Langley, secretary of the Canterbury Carpenters’ Union, in a 20 minutes’ review condemned the Minister of Labour for refusing to set up a tribunal. Mr McLagan reminded him that the carpenters’ union had already refused to abide by the decision of a tribunal —the Arbitration Court. From publications issued by the carpenters’ union, Mr McLagan added, it was obvious that the dispute had been more political than industrial, and that this was, in fact, the first political strike. Choice of Leaders Mr Fraser warned the workers to exercise care in their choice of industrial leaders. Unless trade unions insisted that no Communists be allowed to hold office nothing but disaster would follow, since the Communists owed allegiance not to New Zealand and the interests of the unions but to international Communism. He said that the resolution would be construed as a vote in support of the Government and in support of its policy of taking action against lawbreakers, whether industrial unionists or otherwise. Jx There were three dissentient voices when the resolution was put, and a few abstained from voting. WAGES OF HOSPITAL BOARD CARPENTERS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 16. Subject to the consent of the Wages Commissioner, the Auckland Hospital Board’s carpenters will be paid ten increase of lid an hour on theii pi esent wage rates. This decision was made by the board last night, on the recommendation of its finance committee, which advised the board that, as the Master Builders’ Association had abandoned its resistance to the carpenters’ demands, the board found itself in the position of having no option but to pay the increase, in conformity with the general practice of employers. At its meeting on February 23 the board received a letter from its carpenters asking for an extra lid an hour. The letter stated that after the meeting of the union on February 27 the board’s carpenters were bound toj adopt the resolution passed there.