THE PREFERENCE CLAUSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18765, 19 January 1923, Page 3

THE PREFERENCE CLAUSE

MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION’S RESOLUTION. LABOUR COUNCIL’S EMPHATIC . PROTEST. At a meeting of the executive of the Otago Manufacturers’ Association yesterday afternoon, over which Mr W. C. Burt presided, a letter was received from the secretary of the Otago Labour Council, strongly protesting against the association’s action in

forwarding to the Prime Minister a resolution adopted bv the association’s executive urging that the preference clause in the Arbitration Court’s awards should be abolished. The secretary wrote as follous;--Tf the said resolution was put into effect it would mean nothing less than industrial chaos in this dominion. Yon do not seem to be aware that the unions in Xew Zealand are mainly lesponsible for the reasonably mutual relationship that at present exists between employers and employees, anil that whether a preference clause is embodied in an award or not, the actual preference of employment would be enacted by those workers in the industry, irrespective of the wishes of the employers, but with much more friction. It is quite evident that, the members of your association are profoundly ignorant of the essentials of industrial peace. We trust that wiser counsels will pier nil in yoin- association, and that you will not commit the unpardonable blunder of being responsible for the creation of intense industrial unrest, which the adoption of your resolution would bring about, and which would be inimical to the interests of employers and employees, in addition to which the whole of the community would inevitably suffer.” r lhe letter was received without comment.