RIGHT TO STRIKE

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVI, Issue 3446, 22 March 1932, Page 5

RIGHT TO STRIKE

A VAIN APPEAL. ABOLITION OF PENALTIES. An unsuccessful attempt to secure the abolition of the penalties for strikes and lockouts was made by the Labour Party in the House of Representatives last Friday night, following an impassioned speech by Mr. W. Nash (Hutt), whose amendment on the subject was rejected without debate by a substantial majority. Mr. Nash said his amendment followed naturally on what had been accomplished by the Government over the past 30 hours. During that period the Opposition had endeavoured to persuade the Government to give way on some of the points in the Bill, but a deaf ear had been turned to those appeals. The Government had not even dotted an "i" or "crossed a "t" for the Labour Party. "There is now only one alternative for the workers," continued Mr. Nash. "The Government has destroyed the arbitration system, it has taken away the protection from women workers, it has introduced a piecework clause that nullifies awards, and it has left the workers completely and absolute 1 ly helpless. There is only one thing for the workers to do, and that is to start to organise—a terribly difficult task in view of the ruling poverty and hardship that faces them —but we will have to do it. The industrial organisations and the political organisations representing the workers must get together for their own protection."

A "Free-for-All" Speaking under stress of • great emotion, Mr. Nash declared that all the safeguards for the workers had disappeared as the result of the Government's legislation, and the amendment he had moved simply asked the Government to play the game to the limit. The refusal of the worker to give of his labour was now the only alternative if the employer declined to give him a fair wage, and he asked the Government, at the end of the work it had done, to abolish the penalties under the Arbitration Act for strikes and lockouts. "Let's have a free-for-all," said Mr. Nash. We have gone back to stern, stark individualism. Let men and women stand on their own feet and fi>ht the employer. Let them get together and show what they can do. We have a difficult task ahead, but we won't shirk it. . . . I believe it will bear fruit. I believe the principles upon which we have_ fought this Bill will be the principles on which we will fight in the future."