THE TRADES UNIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21167, 27 April 1932, Page 13

THE TRADES UNIONS.

REORGANISATION SCHEME. MEETING NEW CONDITIONS. CONFERENCE RECOMMENDATIONS [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. Complete reorganisation of the trades union movement in New Zealand along lines calculated to promote greater unity and stronger resistance to measures considered injurious to workers' interests has been recommended by the open industrial conference that sat in Wellington recently. The recommendations of a special committee that was set up at the conference and which were subsequently adopted by the conference itself have not hitherto been published, but the report has been in the hands of trades union executives for some days. Among the recommendations are the immediate organisation of national unions in all industries where there are at present industrial federations or associations; cancellation of registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act by local unions not to be effected until a national union is functioning and until such time as a joint industrial council and national council so decide. The grouping of all workers in one industry into one industrial department to be controlled by a joint council, which shall be representative of all unions in the group, is recommended. Powers of National Unions. A national union shall have power to conduct its own business except that: (a) It must submit for approval all claims for industrial agreements to the joint council of the department and the national council; (b) no industrial agreement shall be signed unless it is first approved by a joint council and national council; (c) a national union shall do everything in its power to cary out instructions of the joint council and the national council. Should a national union be unable to arrive at a settlement of a dispute the matter shall be immediately referred to the joint council. Provision is made for the establishment of a national council elected by representatives of all industrial departments, subject to the control of an annual conference. The national council shall manage the business of the organisation and shall advise and assist all industrial departments and unions in the settlement of disputes or on any matter which they may deem advisable. Regarding State employees represented at the conference the report recommends that they institute a joint committee comprising delegates from the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, Post and Telegraph Employees' Association, the Enginedrivers, Firemen and Cleaners' Association, and the Railway Tradesmen's Association, and this committee shall be allowed representation on the national council. Effect of Recent Legislation. For the purposes of assisting national unions and departments in the settlement of disputes an industrial disputes board shall be appointed by the national council. The council shall establish industrial district councils wherever it may be deemed necessary. The report recommends that a general workers' union be organised to include general labourers, shearers and shed hands, harvesting and threshing mill workers and men engaged in farm work generally, men employed in construction work by {he Public Works Department, men employed by public bodies at general labouring work, and such other workers as cannot be organised into national unions governing one industry.

"The recent action of the Government in abolishing the compulsory clauses of the Arbitration Act leaves no option to trades unionists of the Dominion but to take industrial direct action to protect their standard of living and ensure reasonable conditions of employment," states a clause in the report. "The policy adopted by the Government therefore compels the conference to advise workers that they must be prepared to take a definite stand to maintain a living wage and hard-won conditions of employment which have been obtained by the industrial organisations."

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF. PROPOSALS BY LABOUR. PLAN TO FINANCE WORKS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The report of the special committee adopted by the recent industrial conference, dealing with unemployment, recommends that the Unemployment Act be administered by the Minister in charge and a committee of four members of Parliament; that a permanent employment commission be set up representative of farmers' organisations, workers' organisations and of organisations of employers controlling secondary industry, this commission to assist and advise the Government as to methods by which profitable and continuous work can be found. As steps toward an immediate remedy for unemployment, it is suggested that workers must demand restoration of the 10 per cent, wage cut; a seven hours' day and five days' week; a guaranteed weekly wage to casual workers; relief workers to be paid the wages current for the work at which they are employed, and sustenance payments to unemployed men equal to wages, in the event, of no relief work being provided. It is recommended that unemployed workers should form a national union with headquarters at Wellington. Proposals made for financing unemployment relief works are the issue of Treasury notes for £15,000,000, or, alternatively, a forced loan for a like amount, either to be repayable in five yeairs. The report protests against the levy and wages tax and suggests in lieu a grauuated tax on income and other taxes.