LABOUR LEGISLATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18116, 14 June 1922, Page 8

LABOUR LEGISLATION.

POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS. QUESTION OF PREFERENCE. CONSOLIDATION UNDER WAY [it TBLBQBAPH.—OWN COWUCSrOKWfcH*.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. Industrial law will be one of the matters brought before Parliament during the coming session. Various aspecte of the existing law have been pressed upon the attention of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Labour, and the replies have indicated that there will be legislation this year. Mr. Massey said recently that be held still to the opinion that the public ought to be represented, as the interested third party, when the Arbitration Court war fixing wages and adjusting conditions. Many demands have been made for the abolition of preference to unionists. Legislation on this point is improbable. , The granting of preference is a matter in , the hands of - the Court, and it appears that already the Court has power to withdraw the preference privilege from a union that has abused it, but the unions that are alleged to have made the worst use , of preference have been found in the past , mostly outside the arbitration law. Two important amendments of the ini dustrial law were brought forward last . session by the Minister for Labour, and subsequently held over owing to strong i opposition. Time was short, and the . Government was anxious to get the Bill • on to the Statute Book in order to secure > provision for the amending of awards and > agreements, having regard to the cost of living. One of the postponed clauses pro- > vided that persons appointed as assessors I in conciliation counoils must be actu- > ally engaged or employed v ' in the I industry in the district where the dis- • pute arose. The other clause made it an > offence to dissuade or attempt to dissuade • any two or more workers from accepting employment under the conditions of an - award or agreement, or to dissuade or attempt to dissuade any employer from employing two or more workers under an • agreement. 'It U possible that these rfauseß will reappear during the session of this year. - A consolidation of the labour laws of the Dominion is being prepared, and it 1 may be ready for Parliament this year. It will be welcomed by all people who have to refer to the statute*, since at present the principal Acts have to bo read m conjunction with masses of more or less confusing amendments.