AWARDS EXPIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 14 October 1933, Page 5

AWARDS EXPIRE

position ob Apprentices. .. y v • * 3- ' . ARBITRATION. .CPURT ‘ CASE. (Per Press A'ssoeiittidh-iiio6^s>rigUt). WELLINGTON, October 13. ■ The question of whether, when an industrial' award haS'boeh” cancelled in a particular district, the apprenticeship orders Humid also, cease to operate therein, '■w'as'Tjrdught for decision , befprki. the':Arbitration (Murk this aftevnou.- A-ft-e)’ hearing argument from Mr F, .Cornwell, on behclf of a. number; of unions'; -Mr. Justice Fraser reserved ;hls decision.

Mr Cornwell sdjd that; it, seemed strange, that; Avlierq jn .award had ceased to 1 operate, owing t& thd" conditions offered by the [employers t-o the workers being unacceptable, the apprentices in that trade- or -industry should be deprived of. the conditions and the protection contained in their order. Mr Cornwell argued that the Court had the power to overcome' any slight difficulty which might arise through any award ceasing to .‘function in any particular district, by extending the provisions of the apprenticeship order in the in-dustry concerned to any district where the awardhad' ceased to operate. “This is a serious question, so far as apprentices are concerned,” Mr Cornwell said,: ‘‘and Ido not, think the employers wlant to interfere with the orders.” ■ .

Mr W. Cecil Prime, the employers’ assessor: It might have, been better to have let sleeping dogs lie. The employers are now following out the terms of the orders, but the question of their validity having been raised, it may , upset that. His Honour : It is purely accidental if these orders are invalid. It was never intended by the legislature, It is entirely a question of law, and it is far better to face the question now,so that, if the orders do prove invalid, the position can be-rectified.” “This is ;,a new suggestion, of Mf Cornwell’s,” his Honour continued, “asking that employers, say, down in Southland, should be brought under a n award simply because one exists, say, in Auckland/’. The question being an important one, his Honour intimated ho would take time to consider it.