INDUSTRIAL LAWS

Grey River Argus, 8 November 1938, Page 8

INDUSTRIAL LAWS

TO BE CONSOLIDATED. CHRISTCHURCH, November 7. Consolidation of some of the important legislation administered under his portfolio is the aim Of the Minister for Labour, thO Hon. H.' T. Armstrong. This legislation included the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act and amendments and the Shops and Offices Act and allied measures. In an interview with “The Press” yesterday Mr Armstrong Said that while it was yet too early to say definitely what legislation he or any other Minister would be able to get before Parliament wheri' the House resumed towards the middle of 1939, he was hopeful of being able to have put through measures consolidating the most important of his legislation It has been agreed for some time now that consolidation of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act was necessary, he said, but until this year there had not been the time to give it full consideration, in view of the very big bufrden of more urgent legislation which the. House had before it. Now it ought to be possible to secure the fulfillment of his own often-repeated desire to have the legislation consolidated and put in more useful and more accessible form. - , “I am sure that consolidation would do a service to all those affected by this legislation—to employers and employees and to those, yvho have to administer it,” Mr Armstrong said.

“The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act is 13 years old and amendments made since then have radically altered the act in some particulars. Consolidation there has been necessary for some time. I also think the consolidation of the various enactments under the Shops and Offices Act is urgently necessary. There are at least , five different acts, dealing with this subject which ought to be consolidated in the one measure.” ' The Minister added that in the process of consolidation it was in-’ tended that many apparent anomalies in the legislation he had mentioned could be removed.