CONCILIATION BOARD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10968, 24 January 1899, Page 6

CONCILIATION BOARD.

THE PAINTERS' DISPUTE.

A FLAW IN THE PROCEEDINGS.

TifK Conciliation Board met yesterday to deal with the dispute between the Painters' Union and the employers. There were present : The Rev. A. H. Collins (chairman), and Messrs. J. J. Holland, J. M. Sheru, Fawcus, and Lucas. Mr. James Regan appeared to represent the union, by whom the dispute was tiled, and of the 11 employers cited, live appeared. The names of till employers cited in the dispute are : Messrs. A. E. Grey, B. Hooker, Muller, W. Webb, B. Buckley, F. M. (libherd. Connop, Fairley, Cook, and Courtney, Impey and Green, and the Board of Education.

With reference to the Education Board a discussion arose as to whether they should be brought into line with the employers, under the provisions of the Act, Mr. Regan maintaining that they occupied the position of ordinary employers of labour, and as such should not be exempt on account of their Government connection.

It was then pointed out, with reference to the date of the filing of the dispute, that the Act read as follows :— industrial dispute shall be referred for settlement to a Board by an industrial association, industrial union, or trade union, and no application shall be made to the Court for the enforcement of any award, except in pursuance of a resolution, passed by a majority of the members present at a meeting specially summoned by notice being posted to each member, stating the nature of the proposal to be submitted to the meet-

ing. The Chairman, after consulting with the Board, sent for the members of both parties, and informed them that the meeting was out of order. Clause sof the amended Act required that a resolution should be passed by the union before any action was taken. The resolution in question was passed on the 17th hist., and the case was lodged prior to this, on the 12th. At the same time the Board desired him to state that if any of the parties were willing to sign the plaint they would be free from any further attendance on the Board.

The meeting then dissolved, pending the filing of a fresh dispute with the clerk of awards, Mr. R. G. Thomas.