ARBITRATION ACT

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1930, Page 2

ARBITRATION ACT

SUGGESTED AMENDMENT.

OTAGO FARMERS’ PROPOSAL. k. - _ DUNEDIN, June 4. At the Farmers’ Union conference today, Mr F. -Waite, on behalf of the Clutha Branch, .moved“ That the Arbitration Act be amended in the direction of providing for compulsory conciliation and optional arbitration. Mr Waite said that for many years* . there had been a good deal otf dissat : * isfaction with the operation ,of the Arbitration Act in New Zealand, paitioularly so far as it concerned the primary industries. There had been a great deal, of objection to being brought under the jurisdiction of the Court, and this had culminated a few years ago in an.'attempt to have the primary industries excluded from the operation of the Act. Parliament had d«-ided that the best .thing, to do was to let people send representatives to an industrial conference to thresh the

matter out. Several attempts had been made to have the primary industries absolutely excluded from the operation

of the they had not been successful, except in' the case rtf farm labourers, where the Court had always refused a wrt.'•<!.. ltd .thought they would; have to take this question from a difficult angle, in the remi.t;%n>j tajluake provision fc>. conciliation) nnci-thnt’ hrbit! a tion .should be optional, and not compulsory, as iti present. ’ ■ Mr Wait;?,, said, hq.believed: that .in the old days something in the nature cl-

an Arbitration Court was needed to improve condijjiqtti in industry, but times had changed since then. The only people who were sweated to-day were those working .on the land. Public opinion would-prevent a revision to the conditions prevailing in the old days. Some years ago they, had reached , the stage that the Arbitration Court was looking round for standards and principles which could be applied to industry. In some industries workers were paid on what they consumed, and not on what they ■ produced. The major;tv of people .working, under awards were paid according to wliat it cocst them to live,up to a certain standard, wh'ch had Jittle;, relation to the value of their production. The' Arbitration Court was- attempting to achieve the impossible. It. had too much to do, and it was interfering in all sorts of details in almost every phase of-the community’s life. At present they •were not getting rational conciliation. He believed that employers and employees should endeavour to reach decisions without having to go to. outsidp persons to tell them whnt should bo done. Many Unions hnd de-registered. and had settled their disputes without: the assistance of the Arbitration Cou't. At present the position was all in favour of the employees. The employ® l ' could be penalised, but_.it was extremely difficult to penalise, the men. Everybody knew that the Arbitration Court did not stop istrikes. They wanted to encourage It should not

be possible' to refer n dispute to tile ArhitrationCourt unless the mniority of those concerned were favourable to such a course. : Any amount of em

ployers wanted tlie Arbitration Act because they did not ■-care if costs were increased in sheltered industries. Any

increase in costs could be passed on, but it was impossible for farmers to do that. They must have some system of optional arbitration. They did not want compulsory arbitration, and they could not work their industries under it.

The motion which was seconded by Mr Steel was carried. Mr Evans moved as follows, on behalf of the Crookston Branch: “That this conference is of'opinion that Labour Unions' which default by illeginl strides should be immediately de-regis-tered by the Arbitration Court. . The rrmver • paid that at i>ros«ut Unions dhi not accent responsibility for a strike hv a minority of members. Mr ppvie seconded the ‘ motion, ■which was carried .