Secretary Of Union Criticises Attitude Of Employers' Assessors

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23219, 3 April 1950, Page 4

Secretary Of Union Criticises Attitude Of Employers' Assessors

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH. March 111

“Cavalier treatment of claims for new awards by the employers’ assessors at Conciliation Council sittings in Wellington lo hear claims for the clothing industry can, if persisted in, lead lo onlv one result—the forcing of workers to seek justice for their claims elsewhere than through the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act,” said Mr. John Roberts, national secretary of the N.Z. Clothing Workers’ Union, yesterday.

"For a fortnight sittings of the Conciliation Council were held and the contemptuous attitude of Hie employers was reminiscent of their attitude towards unionism in the early 1930’s when the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was emasculated and unions had no access to the Arbitration Court except with leave of the employers.”

He declared that in seven disputes the ■ same cavalier refusal to even discuss tlie claims was encountered, “Such an attitude bodes ill for industrial peace of the country,” he continued. “The employers will have only 1 themselves to blame if workers decide ; that the best results can be obtained by , abandoning the procedure under the ; Act and following the courses of some : militant sections of industry who can j show results for their efforts.” The Minister of Labour, Mr. W. Sulli- i

van, had recently appealed for harmony j in employer-worker relations, said Air. j Roberts. lie would not gel much re- j spouse from the workers unless he | “shook up” his own department.

The Clothing Workers’ Union had an- ! plied last October for an urgent amend- ! moot lo its rules, but (lie amendment had not yet been approved.