ARBITRATION COURT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22629, 18 January 1937, Page 11

ARBITRATION COURT

GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION QUESTIONS ASKED OF M.P. [by TELEGRArn —OWN" CORRESPONDENT] TE AAVAMUTU, Sunday Reference to the freezing works dispute was made by Mr. A. (i. Osborne. M.P. for Manukau, at a political meeting in Te Awamutu last night, when he was asked if he approved of the principle of the Government introducing legislation to amend awards made by the Arbitration Court —because such awards did not meet with the approval of the body of workers affected.

Mr. Osborne said he presumed the question originated from n remark attributed to the Minister of Labour, the Hon. H. T. Armstrong, which had appeared in the press that evening. "I want to make it quite clear that I am not justifying the action the workers have taken. In fact I did my best to persuade them against it," Mr. Osborne said. "There might come a time when it would be necessary for a Government in the interests of fair play to intervene in connection with awards of the Arbitration Court."

A Voice: ])oos that apply to decisions of the Supreme Court, too?"

Mr. Osborne retorted with some heat that he was not going to have words put into his mouth which lie did not utter.

In reply to further questions as to whether amendments to an award implied that the Government was dissatislied with Hie Court. Mr. Osborne refused to be drawn other than to say thatjthe Court had been restored as a tribunal to settle industrial disputes and that tribunal was subject to the will of Parliament.

NO-CONFIDENCE RESOLUTION WORKERS AT LONGBURN [llY TKI.KKHAI'H —PRESS ASSOCIATION] PALMEKSTOX NORTH. Saturday A special meeting of tlio Longburn branch of the Wellington Freezing Workers' Union last night passed the following resolution, which is to be forwarded to the Prime Minister:— '•'lhat., in view of the unsatisfactory decision ot the Court of Arbitration in the award for freezing workers, tho Longburn branch has no confidence in the Court as at present constituted. It requests the Government to remove tho present .fudge and to appoint in his place someone who can be relied upon to safeguard the workers' interests by giving reasonable effect to the spirit of industrial legislation passed by the present Government. Further, that there be an immediate rehearing of the freezing workers' award claims." The position will be further considered next week. In the meantime conditions are normal at the Longburn works.