HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5731, 28 October 1905, Page 7

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27. Tho House met at IX a.in. INDUSTRIAL LAWS. Tho Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Amendment Bill was taken in committee. Clause 12, which provides for issuing a permit for work at less than tho minimum (struck out by the Labour Bills Committee) was retainer! by 30 votes to 20. Clause 14 (enabling a Magistrate to hear cases of enforcement of awards, struck out by tho Labour Bills Committee) was deleted from the bill by 40 votes to 17. Air Scddoii moved a new clause providing;—(l) Any industrial union or .industrial association or employer, or any worker, whether a member of any such union or association or not, which or who shall strike or create a lock-out, or take part in a strike or look-out, or propose, aid, or abet a strike or lockout, or a movement intended to produce a strike or lock-out, shall bo guilty of an offence, and shall bo liable to a penalty, and may bo proceeded against in the same manner as if it or ho were guilty of a breach of an award: Provided that the penalty shall not exceed one hundred pounds for any such offence in the case of a union, association, or employer, or ten pounds in tho case of a worker. (2) No worker shall bo subject to a penalty merely because he refuses to work, 1 or announces his intention to refuse to work, at tho rate of wages fixed by any award or industrial agreement, unless the Court is satisfied that such refusal was in purtm.onco of an intention to commit a breach of this section. (3) This section shall only apply when there is an award »r industrial agreement relating to tho trade in connection with which such strike or lock-out has occurred or is impending in force in-,the district where the alleged offence is committed, or some part thereof. It was explained by the Premier that within the last three days his attention had been called to the possibility of a strike. Tho now clause was deiigned to meet such a difficulty. Tho clause was adddod to tho bill. Air Tanner proposed a new clause affirming tho principle of preference to unionists. —Lost by 31 votes to 17. ""The bill was reported with amendments, and passed its final stage. WORKERS’ COMPENSATION, Tho Workers’ Compensation for Accidents Bill was committed. The Lar hour Bills Committee had struck out tho clause providing a minimum payment of £1 as weekly compensation. Tho clause was retained by 36 to 18. In clause 3. providing that payment of compensation may be in a lump sum, Mr Massey moved an amendment to provide that before fixing the amount the Court shall take into consideration the ability of tho employer to pay the lump sum.—Agreed to. Tho bill was reported, with amendments, and passed its final stage. Tho House adjourned at 1 p.m.