COURT OF ARBITRATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 8

COURT OF ARBITRATION.

ALLEGED UNFAIRNESS. PROTEST BY LABOUR ORGANISATIONS. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 10. Strong comment on the alleged unfairness of the Arbitration Court was passed at the opening conference of the Alliance of Labour and allied trades to-day, when the following resolution was carried: ‘That this conference, representing 61,000 organised workers, enters a most emphatic protest against the refusal of the Court of Arbitration to afford the representatives of the workers an opportunity of stating a case in favour of an increase in wages before it made its recent determination that there should* be no alteration in the basic wage, such refusal being in direct opposition to the letter and spirit of ‘The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 1921-22,’ which specifically provides that an opportunity of hems' heard shall be afforded to the representatives of the employers and the workers before a determination is made by the court. For the reason that the Court of Arbitration refused the workers an opportunity of stating their case in favour of an increase in wages, whereas it afforded the employers every opportunity of prosecuting their case in favour of reduction in wages, this conference impeaches tho impartiality of tho court as at present constituted and declares t-hat the court has forfeited all claim to the conference of the workers.”