Remission Of Fines Sought By Labour Federation

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1948, Page 2

Remission Of Fines Sought By Labour Federation

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 16. Remission of the fines imposed on officers of. the Carpenters Union in the last few weeks will be sought by the national executive of the Federation of Labour when it meets the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) and the Cabinet this week. The federation will not, however, ask immediately for the repeal of the Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulations, and this subject has been referred to the annual conference, to be held at Dunedin. The secretary of the federation (Mr K. McL. Baxter) reported today the decision made by the national council of the federation this week. The council carried a motion moved by Mr G. S. Ray (Timaru), seconded by Mr R. Fulton (Taranaki), that the council make representations to the Prime Minister (Mr P. Fraser) and the Minister of Justice (Mr H. G. R. Mason) for the remission of fines inflicted on Carpenters’ Union representatives. Amendment Carried Mr A?Drennan (Auckland) moved and Mr E. Lindley (Gisborne) seconded, a motion that the national council request the repeal of the Strikes and Lock-out Emergency Regulations. Mr Fulton moved and Mr R. P. Smith (Waikato) seconded an amendment that the council refer the question of the repeal of the Strikes and Lockout Emergency Regulations to the annual conference of the federation for consideration and report by the appropriate committee. This amendment was carried by 12 votes to 11.

The council decided, on the motion of Mr Drennan, seconded by Mr Fulton, that all affiliations and trades councils be circularised calling on them to move at the annual conference for the repeal of the Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulations. On the motion of Mr W. H. Little (Southland), seconded by Mr Ray, the national executive was instructed to make known to the Government the council’s instruction that the Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulations be discussed at the next annual conference of the federation and to request that a meeting of the Parliamentary committee on emergency regulations be arranged to allow the opinion of the conference to be taken into consideration. Prosecution Of Employers

On the motion of Mr Drennan, seconded by Mr W. A. Fox (Wellington), the council endorsed the attitude of the national executive towards the prosecution of employers involved in the carpenters’ dispute in Christchurch and authorised the executive to make further urgent representations to the Government “calling attention to the detrimental effect of the prosecutions in the interests of wage workers in general and the incentive held out to some employers to place a blanket on wage increases above minimum rates.” The council decided, on the motion of Mr R. Mclntyre (Otago), seconded by Mr J. Doyle (West Coast), that the question of the abolition of the Economic Stabilisation Emergency Regulations be referred to the annual conference for consideration and that the attention of affiliations.be drawn to the question.