Legislation To Improve Industrial Relations

Northern Advocate, 15 July 1949, Page 5

Legislation To Improve Industrial Relations

WELLINGTON, Fri". (P.A.).—“A bill to promote better industrial relations will, at the same time, bring improvement in industrial discipline,” said the Minister of Labour (Mr McLagan) in the House of Representatives today when he introduced the Industrial Relations Bill.

He was replying to an inquiry by the- Leader of the Opposition (Mr Holland) whether the bill provided for improved industrial discipline. The bill was welcomed by members of the Opposition after the Minister’s explanation of its contents.

Mr McLagan said tne purpose of the bill was to bring representatives of employers and employees together to discuss matters on which they had interests in common.

Local advisory councils and advisory councils for particular Industries, with similar functions to thqse of the Industrial Advisory Council, may also be appointed.

The toil] provides for the establishment of an industrial advisory council, consisting of a chairman appointed by Ihe Minister of Labour and such number of representatives of employers and workers and such other persons as the Minister thinks lit.

These local and special councils will be subordinate to the Industrial Ad-visoi-y Council and will report and make recommendations to it.

The bill gives authority for the making of regulations providing for the establishment, on a voluntary basis, of works committees representative of workers and employers, to promote and maintain harmonious industrial relations and to consider the welfare, safety and health of workers. Regulations may also prescribe the payment of workers by their employers for time occupied in attending meetings of committees.. COMPULSORY CONFERENCE Another clause provides that, if a conciliation commissioner has reasonable grounds for believing a strike or lock-out exists or is threatened, he may call a compulsory conference of the parties in an endeavour to secure settlement of the dispute, He may also require the attendance at the conference of any other person whose attendance he thinks may be likely to assist in securing a settlement.

The council shall inquire into, and make reports and recommendations on, ways and means of improving industrial relations and industrial welfare, whether suggested by the council or referred to it by the Minister. These shall include, in particular, such matters as incentive payments, profit-sharing and similar schemes, the safety and health of workers, provision of amenities and establishment of works committees and other em-ployer-worker organsialions.

Failure to comply with a direction to attend will render the person responsible liable, on summary conviction. to a fine of up to £lO. Any person nominated by the Minister may also cal] a compulsory conference of parties to a dispute. The bill will be administered by the Labour Department. When the bill was introduced, Mr Holland said there could be no bettersounding bill, and no bill more needed than one to improve industrial relations. Mr McLagan said it was felt that regular meetings of employers and employees fo consider matters they had in common should be beneficial. MUTUAL INTERESTS There were already occasions for workers and employers to g v et together. Sometimes their common interests were apparent, but, at times, their long-term interests were less apparent, and irregular meetings merely resulted in disagreement. The bill, however, was not one to bring together “industrial poor relations.”

The advisory council to be established would be somewhat similar to the Industrial Emergency Council, which functioned so well during the war to achieve maximum production. CONFERS NEW TOWER When Mr McLagan referred to the advisory couhcil, which would be on a Dominion-wide basis and to local councils subordinate to it. Mr A. S. Sutherland (O—Hauraki) interjected: “I hope you can keep Mr Barnes on these councils.” Mr McLagan replied: “There are other persons interested in industrial relations who could profitably be kept off these councils”

Power for commissioners to call compulsory meetings of the two parties to a dispute was new. Such meetings could, at present, be called only with the consent of both parlies. The bill would apply to all workers and employers, not only those who came within the scope of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.