Before Arbitration Court

Northern Advocate, 8 March 1947, Page 8

Before Arbitration Court

The Federation intends also to de■fine its attitude to increased laboui .rewards in submissions to t'nc Arbitration Court when the claim for an over-all wage increase is being heard.

This is a claim in which trade unions are specially interested. Lately, for example, Ngahauranga freezing workers pledged full support to the Labour Federation's attempt to gain a full £1 and decided, also, that the union should consider further action if the claim was not fully granted. It is believed that similar meetings are proposed by other unions.

Before the Dominion Council meetings. Federated Farmers' dairy section of the council unanimously resolved to demand that the labour reward for dairy farmers and their employees should be assessed by the same measuring rod as used for other industries, involving additional payment for Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays. The section chairman (Mr Blyde) who also is chairman of the action committee of Federated Farmers, described the effect of this demand on the part of only one division of the farming industry on the general economic policy of New Zealand if farmers were placed on “an equivalent footing to other sections of the community.” £12,000,000 EXTRA FOR BUTTER The dairy industry council, with the Dairy Board, had instructed its representatives to try to ensure that the principle enunciated by the dairy section of the council was implemented immediately. The claims had been based on a 56hour week.

Mr Blyde added: “If we get overtime rates above 48 hours a week it will mean an increase of 8d a lb but-ter-fat. “The total cost to someone will be in the neighbourhood of £12,000.000 a year.”

Addressing the Bominio’fi Council of Federated Farmers Mr Mulholland stated; ‘'You know that there have been numbers of wage increases granted. You know, too. of an application not only made possible by the Government but actually facilitated, for a general wage increase. “What you probably don’t know i? that the Government is endeavouring

to extend the application of stabilisa - tion accounts in respect of farm produce to some new lines. "One can only wonder, then, at the inconsistency of such actions.”

Mr Mulholland added that it seemed that the Government was being openly directed by outside forces not responsible to the electors.

It seemed that before long the Gov ernme-nt would have to surrender com pletely to “a very militant minority, o: there would be a really big row.” , ABJECT SURRENDER

He referred to recent industrial disputes and said: "There have been a number of significant happenings in the industrial, world There was the recent dispute between the Government and the watersiders, resulting in the abject surrender of the Government in that dispute and its capitulation. "Cne cf the sinister incidents was that the semi-judicial head of the commission was instructed in the decision he should give. "Fortunately lie resigned rather than do that, and we should honour him for his stand—too seldom a stand today.

"All our liber''.os arr Bound up in the right of being able to resist the executive's authority to over-ride the judicial courts.”

The salvaging of the Wanganella, said Mr Mulholland, brought about another extraordinary exhibition.

While popular attention was centred on the absurd wages demanded and received. the really sinister thing* was the- arrival of an Australian trade union secretary, who had been able to put a pistol at the head of the Government.

“We must honour Mr Semple for his outspoken remarks in that connection.” said Mr Mulholland. “He was refreshingly plain and to the point but hits Mr Semple many colleagues in the Cabinet who do the same? "We avoided, while conducting price negotiations, the complete and open denunciation of stabilisation by the 'meat industry’s accepting the first £665,000 of the increases, the Government accepting the remainder. That happened in September-October, 1946 and it would so appear that Ihe Government was even then preparing for a general increase in wages and a consequent general breakdown of stabilisation.”