CLOTHING TRADE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23009, 9 April 1938, Page 11

CLOTHING TRADE

UNION DIFFERENCES attitude of court \ " . SETTLEMENT DESIRABLE [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON. Friday The attitude of the Court toward domestic differences between unions was indicated plainly by Mr. Justice Hunter in the Second Court of Arbitration to- " day. ■ ! The combined district clothing trade employees' Dominion dispute was before the Court and question was raised by Mr. W. T. Young whether certain workers should come within the scope of the award sought for the clothing trade. He objected to woollen mills, knitting mills and hosiery factories being included in the clothing trade award and to cardigans and bathing costumes manufactured by woollen mills being incorporated in the interpretation clause of the clothing trade award. "There is no ill-feeling on the part of the two labour organisations concorned," said Mr. Young, "but from our point of view there is a principle involved, pertaining to organisation along the lines of industry as we claim to have been laid down in the new law of 1936."

Mr. Young contended it was not within the scope of the Clothing Trade Union to interfere with the workers he represented. Before Mr. Young withdrew, His Honor said it was a pity domestic matters between unions could not be settled without reference to the Court. If the parties could not come to a settlement themselves the Court willingly would grapple with the matter in dispute and do what it thought right. Later Mr. J. Roberts, advocate for the clothing trades unions, said there was no objection from the employers to the addition of cardigans and bathing costumes to the interpretation clause. The objection came solelv from Mr. Young as secretary of the Wellington Woollen Mills and Hosiery Factory Union. That was the reason he had asked Mr. Young to produce his authority for appearing on behalf of the New Zealand organisation. "Our unions," Mr. Boberts continued, "have no desire to encroach upon or interfere in any way with classes of work that rightly come within provisions of the woollen workers' award."

The Court reserved decision on the question.