ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 March 1928, Page 5

ARISTOCRACY OF LABOUR

INDUSTRIAL TROUBLES.

ARBITRATION SYSTEM DOOMED SHIP-OWNER,’ S CRITICISM. KY CABLE PRESS ASSOCIATION -COPYRIGHT MELBOURNE, March 18. The chairman of directors of the Huddart Parker Company, addressing shareholders to-day, reviewed such industrial troubles as concerned the shipping industry. He declared, that through various concessions gained under the Arbitration Act, the seamen had built up an aristocracy of labour in marine circles. The Arbitration Court found itself unable to control this-, while the shipowners’ hands had been tied behind their backs with no possible opportunity of conducting their affairs with satisfaction either to themselves or to anyone else. He had been forced to the conclusion that the arbitration system was doomed to failure. “It lives while it gives,” he said,' “and when it ceases to give it will probably cease to live. The unions openly state that if wages and conditions are not satisfactory to them they will not work peaceably under them. A public statnient of a Seamen’s Union official was that there could be no industrial peace until employers gave voluntarily to employees what they saw fit to demand.”

The employers were trammelled in every direction by awards and regular tions which took control from those who had practical knowledge of the particular industries. The basic wage was determined on falacious premises and the wage fixed without regard to butput. On the other hand, when an employer in protected industries, paying high wages with burdensome conditions sought assistance from the Tariff Board, the men promptly sought to participate, and so the merry round went on.