A FRIENDLIER SPIRIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20111, 23 November 1928, Page 14

A FRIENDLIER SPIRIT.

EMPLOYERS; AND EMPLOYED. UNION SECRETARY'S VIEW. [BY TELEGItAPH.—OWN" COEXIESPONDENT. J ; THAMES, Thursday. The conviction that employers and employees were now meeting in a friendlier spirit was expresicd this evening by Mr. R; F. Barter, secretary of the New Zealand Amalgamated Engineering Union, on his return to Thames from a special sitting of the Arbitration Court at Christchurch. . \ Mr. Barter said the point in dispute was whether tho uigipeers, boilermakers and moulders skould have separate awards, each with a Court representation of six members, «r whether the Court should make a comprehensive award covering all three branches. The Court decided to bring the three branches under one award for the whole, provided the Government permitted a total Court representation of 12 instead of 18 members as previously. "I hope the new, proposal will be carried," said Mr. Barter, "because it will save the Government a lot of expense and give surer stability of working conditions to employer and erployee. It will also help to bring about a better feeling between the worker ind his employer, so keenly urged by Mr. Coates in his election campaign. * j

"We do not want to take into the Court of Arbitration the feeling that the employer is out to beat us, and that lie thinks we are there to beat him in tho matter of wages. We all want, more friendliness on both sides, and as far as tho ironworkers of tho Dominion are concerned the proposal for one award' will greatly assist in mich wanted co-opera-tion." j