EMPLOYERS CRITICISED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22538, 1 October 1936, Page 16

EMPLOYERS CRITICISED

SOCIAL JUSTICE ATTITUDE LABOUR DELEGATE RETURNS [BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHURCH, Wednesday Strong criticism of the actions of the employers, and of the British Government for its uncompromising attitude on the question of social justice, was voiced by Mr. G. T. Thurston on his return to Christ-church from Geneva, where he attended the International Labour Conference as the delegate for the workers of New Zealand. "The thing that impressed me was that almost invariably the employers did everything in their power to prevent the improvement of social conditions," he said. "This was done not only by voting, but also by needlessly absorbing the time of the conference." He added that, in his opinion, the employers were putting up a losinp fight. "Since the inauguration of the International Labour Office, in 1919, 49 conventions have been registered," Mr. Thurston added. "When a State ratifies the convention it enters into a compact to maintain, by legislation or otherwise, certain specific conditions of labour. Strange as it seems, New Zealand has not yet ratified one singlp convention.

"The workers and the employers in New Zealand should take a livelier interest in the work of this great machine. In many cases our laws do not provide the conditions implied in the International Labour Conventions, and our previous Government seems to have ignored almost entirely the treaty to which it was a party. Little or no discussion takes place in New Zealand on matters pertaining to the Labour Conventions, and I feel it is my duty to place the question before the Government, and to ask that these matters should be referred either to the Labour Bills Committee, or to soirio special committee of the House of Representatives."