FEDERAL AWARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20720, 13 November 1930, Page 11

FEDERAL AWARDS.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN STATE. CABINET'S DECISION IGNORED. ADELAIDE, Nov. 12. A curious situation has arisen owing to the determination of the Railway Commissioner to proceed with his application to the High Court to have South Australia excluded from the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court, although the Cabinet had decided against the application and asked the commissioner to drop it. Now it, is suggested that the Governmertt will be represented at the hearing and oppose the application, which, if granted, would exclude all employees in the public service working under Federal awards.

On October 5, by a unanimous judgment, the Full Court of tho Federal Arbitration Court granted with certain limitations an application of the Railway Commissioners of four States for the setting aside of the awards of various railway unions. The Court stipulated that the awards should stand in so far as they provided for a basic wage and standard hours. The four States affected were New South Wales, Victoria, Australia and Tasmania. All the Judges expressed the view that the financial condition of the railways urgently called for action and that it was in contemplation of such an emergency that the Legislature endowed the Court with power to set an award asidp. They also expressed the view that the action taken by the Court was necessary in the interests of employees as well as of tho railway departments and of the community generally. The various railway unions affected have since appealod against the order of tho Arbitration Court and tho appeal has yet to be heard. When the Arbitration Court gave its decision setting aside the awards Mr. Bavin, who was then Premier of New South Wales, commented that, it would make the Government's task of balancing the Budget much easier. Since then the New South Wales Railwav Commissioners have reinstated 636 locomotive engine cleaners who had been dismissed from the service. A large number of drivers and firemen who had been regressed have been restored to their former positions, About 600 salaried officers have had their salaries reduced.