THE RIGHT TO WORK. Permits for Under-rate Workmen.

Free Lance, Volume X, Issue 476, 14 August 1909, Page 6

THE RIGHT TO WORK. Permits for Under-rate Workmen.

LAST week an Auckland firm of boot manufacturers were prosecuted for an alleged breach of an industrial award by employing an elderly man at under-rate wages without a permit. In giving jxidgment for the Inspector of Awards, Mr KetUe. S.M., expressed the opinion that the granting or withholding of these under-rate permits ought aot to be left to the unions, but should be entrusted to an impaitial tribunal We are informed by the Labour Department that the amending legislation of last year placed this power m the hands of the Factory Inspector, who is required to invite the paiticular union interested to state its objection, if it has any, Bur the decision rests with himself So long as both sides have fair oppoitunity of being heard there can be no objection to this. If the officei displays bias or partiality, hi 5'5 ' conduct will be open to review. * • • Mr Kettle touched on another point on which the unions will do well to ponder his advice He pointed out that it is their duty to consider from the humanitaiian point of view these applications for permits from under-rate workmen If they did not do this the result would, be that old men and others, not capable of earning the minimum wage, would become derelicts and dependent on public charity In other words, the unions must not seek to arbitrarily limit the underrate workmen's right to work In our opinion, the complement of that is that the employer must not be bound to pay the minimum wage to the inefficient workman. • • • Theie is a large body of labour m the various taades which is beneath the standard of efficiency. These labourers must have the right to work Naturally the labour unions don't want their parti cular ci afts to be swamped with a large number of workmen who, from failure to complete their apprenticeship, nre willing to take jobs as "improvers" at less than the ruling rate of wages They may rightly insist on this class completing their qualifications as skilled workmen as quickly rs possible But, on the other hand, they must not be allowed to prevent under-rate permits being

is&ued to men who, through age or infirmity, aie not able to give full value for the standard wage The State must protect the rights of this class also, and prevent a,r^ trade combination reducing them to beggary or the poor-house.