The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1928. CO-OPERATION IN INDUSTRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1928. CO-OPERATION IN INDUSTRY.

Last year in England there was Jess time lost through strikes than for forty years. This imny have been in part due to the lessons learnt during the general strike, but if was very largely due to the better relations existing between workers and employers, and a broader recognition of their joint responbility for the avoidance of stoppages and the' promotion of industrial welfare. These improved relations are shown -in the report on the recent conference between employers and trade unionists which Lord Melchet (better known as Sir Alfred Mond) inaugurated. The report and its-acceptance by the conference are developments of enormous importance. The chief recommendation made in the report is' 1 that there should be an immediate formation of a national industrial council to continue the'improvement in industrial reorganisation and industrial relations. This council is to consist of an equal number of trade unionists and employers, and is to meet quarterly. A joint standing committee of ten a-side is also to he established to deal with disputes and all questions affecting industry. Particularly significant parts of the report are the acceptance of the Trades Union Congress as the most effective organisation to discuss and negotiate all questions relating to the whole field of industrial reorganisation, and the expression of opinion that negotiations would be facilitated by workers becoming unionists, and by the employers being organised. This is a remarkable success for the unions. It is not so very long ago that even the railway unions were fighting for recognition. The unions for long were looked upon as hostile to the employers. The employers organised in self-de-fence, and thus there were two opposing camps. Under the proposed national industrial council the unionists and the employers will be organised for the prevention rather than the promotion of industrial disputes. According to figures given by the “Daily Express” out of 12,000,000 insured workers in Britain, only 4,000,000 belong to the unions affiliated to the Trades Union Congress. There are .some unions not affiliated, and there must 1)0 many insured workers who do not belong to any union. The figures for 1925 gave the number of unionists as 5,500,000, of whom a million "were women. Since the strike it lias been stated that the number of unionists lias considerably declined. This recommendation, therefore, that workers should become unionists will strengthen the trade unions, and as it is a unanimous recommendaion it is evident that representatives of both employers and workers realise that a new work lies before both sides’ organisation in co-operation for the common good. That is to say, it is pressed that these organisations shall turn from war between themselves to co-operation.