EMPLOYERS AND LABOUR

Northern Advocate, 5 December 1935, Page 4

EMPLOYERS AND LABOUR

PRESIDENT CONGRATULATES MR SAVAGE CO-OPERATION PROMISED CRITICISM WILL BE CONSTRUCTIVE. [Per Press Association. CopyTight.l WELLINGTON, This Day. The President of the New Zealand Employers’ Association (Mr A. C. Mitchell), prefaced his address at the annual meeting today by making some reference to the political change whic has come about. He said that the New Zealand Employers’ Federation, as an organisation, had no party and no politics. Probably every shade of political opinion was represented amongst its members. “At the outset I feel sure that all members will join with me sincerely in offering congratulations to Mr Savage and his colleagues upon the reward which the people of New Zealand as a whole have , bestowed upon them after their many years of strenuous work in the Opposition. I personally wish Mr Savage and his colleagues every success in the work which they now have to undertake. f T feel sure that members of this organisation as a body will endorse that wish. Our organisation has always* aimed at the preservation of industrial peace, the gradual improvement of the standard of living insofar as circumstances will allow, and, so far as our influence has extended, we have always endeavoured to use it to attain these ends. We have placed at the disposal.of every successive Minister of Labour any information that we possessed which might be of use to him, and, so far as, has been practicable, we have co-operated with successive Ministers in industrial matters. Will Still Assist. “Such services will still be at the disposal of the new Minister of Labour. Our desire is to assist him in every possible way and not to be obstructive! It may happen, of course, that some of the new Government’s proposals will call for our criticism, perhaps for our opposition, but if the occasion does arise our criticism will be constructive and not destructive. “We must assume that the Government will be actuated by an earnest desire to preserve the industries of the Dominion, and will avoid any measures that will adversely affect industrial expansion and development. We have frequently given public expression to what is a fact —that our organisation is not antagonistic to organised labour but exists for the purpose of meeting organised labour on an equal footing. Our desire has always been to reconcile the views of employers and workers as far as possible, to arrive at industrial agreements by friendly discussion and negotiation and to improve working conditions as far as practicable, having due regard to the circumstances under which industries are carried on at any time. Will Be Constructive.

“We hope that the new Government will appreciate that spirit which animates our organisation. We have acquired long and valuable experience of industrial matters. We will be prepared to discuss all things reasonably with representatives of the Government, and we trust that our relations with the incoming Government will always be friendly and mutually helpful. 1 We shall probably have differences of opinion upon industrial legislation from time to time, but in such cases we shall try to be constructive in all our criticism and we shall endeavour to co-operatq with the Government in all things for the mutual benefit of our members and their employees.”