ARBITRATION BILL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22400, 22 April 1936, Page 15

ARBITRATION BILL

SEVERAL CHANGES FIXING BASIC WAGE RIGHTS OF UNIONISTS [BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Tuesday Several alterations to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill have been made by the Labour Bills Committee of the House of Representatives. The bill with amendments was reported back to the House to-day by Mr. 1?. McKeen (Government—Wellington South), chairman of the committee. The report was adopted without discussion, apparently as the result of an arrangement between the Government and the Opposition. Perhaps the most important alteration in the bill has been made by the changing of one word in the clause empowering the Arbitration Court to fix a basic wage. Under the original bill the basic wage was to be fixed on the reasonable requirements of a man, his wife and two children, but the committee has increased the number of children to three. Dominion Unions The amendments made by the committee deal chiefly with the registration of unions 011 a Dominion basis f and the clauses in the original bill which sought to give compulsory preference to unionists. As amended the bill provides that in the registration of a Dominion union members of existing unions have to be in favour of the proposal. The right to declare for Dominion registration is not to be given to all workers engaged in the industries concerned as was proposed in the original bill. There is also provision for the stipulations regarding the formation of Dominion unions to be extended to cover applications for the registration of North Island or South Island unions, or unions covering two or more specified industrial districts. Principle of Compulsion The restriction of employment in industries covered by awards exclusively to members of unions is also elaborated. Under the original bill unions had to apply to the Arbitration Court for the inclusion of such clauses in their awards. An addition by the committee applies the principle of compulsory unionism to all awards automatically a month after the Act comes into force. However, these provisions need not apply in cases where the maximum membership of a union is fixed in an award, and in such cases employers have the right to employ non-unionists when there are no union members competent to perform the work required. Section 154 of the principal Act, restricting the operation of awards and industrial agreements to workers employed for pecuniary gain, was to have been repealed under the hill. The committee has introduced an amendment in this instance providing that no award or industrial agreement shall affect the employment of any worker who is employed by a charitable or religious organisation in an industry which is not carried out for pecuniary gain. Otherwise the fact that work is not carried out for pecuniary gain shall not restrict the application of any award or agreement to workers so engaged.

RAILWAYS CONTROL OPINIONS IN THE COUNCIL DEBATE STILL UNFINISHED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Tuesday The Legislative Council resumed the second reading debate on the Government Railways Amendment Bill to-day. Continuing his speech the Masters (Taranaki) said that the construction of new lines should bo approved, not by an individual, but bv both Houses of Parliament The FayRaven Commission expressed no opinion about the South Island main trunk from a commercial point of view, but regarded it mainly from the viewpoint of complying the Dominion system. Dealing with board control Mr. Masters said the service in New Zealand was better to-day than it was a few years ago. In spite of a decrease in passenger and goods traffic shortly after the board took control passenger traffic to-day was better than it was in 1930. Savings had been effected by the adoption of business-like methods. It was a retrograde step to place the railways under political control. The Hon. M. Connelly (Otago) said that under board control there had been a small saving on branch lines and South Island linos, but on, the other hand the public had paid dearly foe the luxury of board control. Under that control there was a danger of railway policy being dictated by commercial interests outside the board. The staff had received no consideration from . the board and a fear complex had been created. The Hon. E. R. Davis (.Auckland} said ho would support the bill as it was a policy measure. At the same time he desired to place on record the good work done by the board. The Hon. V. A. Ward (Wellington) opposed handing over the railways to control outside Parliament. He said Parliament would have control as far as the construction of new lines was concerned. The debate was adjourned.