LANGUAGE OF AWARDS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 161, 9 June 1939, Page 6

LANGUAGE OF AWARDS.

NECESSITY EOR CLARITY STRESSED. WELLINGTON, June 8. Attention to the need for industrial awards being set out in clear language is drawn by the Court of Arbitration in giving an opinion on a Hamilton ease referred to it involving interpretation of certain clauses in the Taranaki chemical, manure, and acid workers’ award. ‘‘Since it was passed in 1894 the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act has contained a provision imposing on the Court the obligation of setting out an award in clear language.' Till 1908 industrial disputes were dealt with in the first instance by permanent boards of conciliation who framed their recommendations for an award, and, if those were accepted bv the parties, they became the award. Tf not accepted, they were remitted to the Court, and the award as finally pronounced was framed in terms identical, or nearly so, with th° original recommendations. Tu 1908 the boards of conciliation wore abolished and were replaced by con noils of conciliation. “Naturally, this Court finds it very difficult to interfere with the phrasing of a council's recommendations, tint in the circumstances in which these are drawn, errors arc very apt to be overlooked and hence disputes as to interpretation n.re much more frequent than was originally the case. We direct attention to this fact in the hone that councils of conciliation will be increasingly careful to avoid difficulties such as have arisen in the case before us.”