INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23220, 18 June 1937, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL WORLD

NEWS AND NOTES By J. T. Paul Mankind has reached a point where the means of satisfying its needs are in excess of the needs themselves. To impose, therefore, as has hitherto been done, the curse of misery and degradation upon vast divisions of mankind, in order to secure well-being for the few, is needed no more; well-being can be secured for all, without overwork for any.—Peter Kropotkin. TIMBER WORKERS A decision to join the new Dominion organisation to be known as the New Zealand Timber Yards, Sawmills. Box Factories and Bush Workers' Union was reached at a meeting of the Auckland Timber Workers' Union. The secretary, Mr F. Craig, was instructed to attend a conference in Wellington on June 25, when rules for the new organisation will be finalised and preparations made for a Dominion award. It is anticipated that the national union will ultimately have a membership of between 9000 and 10,000. , FOOD RELIEF IN NEW SOUTH WALES • In future, in New South Wales, in calculating the permissive income of a household where the head of the household is an applicant for food relief, the following amount of earnings would be exempt in respect of each son, daughter, brother or sister in the household who was in employment: (1) If over 21 years of age, earnings up to £3 a fortnight to be excluded from the family income; (2) If under 21 years of age. earnings up to £2 a fortnight to be excluded from the family income. Earnings in excess of these amounts would be included in the calculation of family income, and might be exempt up to the limit of permissive income' otherwise allowable for the household. It has been decided also that the Department of Works 'and Local Government would pay the whole of the transport costs actually and necessarily incurred by relief workers while travelling to and from relief works on which they were employed by that department. At present the department paid all fares in excess of 2s 6d a week.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE The constant growth of the correspondence of the International Labour Office continues to reflect the increasingly universal character of its activity. During the year 1936 the office received 33.832 letters (as compared with 32,091 in 1935 and 29,817 in 1934), and despatched 28,059 (as compared with 27,775 in 1935 and 25,540 in 1934). This correspondence came from, or was sent to, 85 different countries, among which, outside-Switzerland the chief were—Great Britain, France, the United States, Italy, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Spain, Poland. Canada, India and Japan. The increase noted in the number of letters received and despatched was particularly important for the extraEuropean countries, for which the increase, as compared with 1935, was 13.34 per cent, for incoming and 8.67 per cent, for outgoing mail. This correspondence was in .24 different languages, in order by number of letters as follows:—French, English, German', Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Polish, Bulgarian, Czech, Russian, Greek, Ser-r bian, Finnish, Hungarian, Esperanto. Turkish. Iranian, Rumanian, Japanese, and Latvian.

LABOUK LAWS IN JUGOSLAVIA A new* order of &e Jugoslav Go-, vernment regulates minimum wage filing, collective agreements, concilia--tion and arbitration. The new laws apply to industry, mining, handicrafts, transport and forest undertakings. The minimum wage for skilled work-;-, ers may not be lower than the basicwage. For unskilled workers it musl lie between 10 per cent, below and 50 per cent, above the basic wage. For workers employed in towns.of less than 5000 inhabitants or in villages the minimum wage may be below the basicwage, but not by more than 10 per cent. The wages of unskilled work-: ers under 18 years of age may in no case be less than 75 per cent, of the minimum wages. of adult workers. Piece rates must be replaced by time rates, except where the former are either necessary or to the workers' advantage. Collective agreements may be concluded either for undertakings or for industries. Factory inspectors will take part, at the request of either party, or if the public interest so requires, in the negotiations for the conclusion of agreements. Individual contracts will be null and void, unless they are more favourable to the employed person. Provision is made for the adjustment of collective industrial disputes by compulsory conciliation, voluntary arbitration, and, in some cases, compulsory arbitration. Strikes and lockouts are prohibited during compulsory conciliation procedure, and are prohibited in all undertakings of public utility. A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY The twenty-third International Labour Conference opened at Geneva this month. In the course of a lengthy and exhaustive annual report, MiHarold Butler, Director of the 1.L.0.. covered the world industrial situation. Reviewing the most recent attempts at social reconstruction, the director draws attention to the extent and importance of the French experiment. " That this immense programme should have been adopted and put into execution in so short a time is an interesting proof that neither the legislative nor the administrative procedures of democracy are incompatible with swift and decisive action when occasion requires." Mr Butler also refers to the farteaching programme of reforms carried out in New. Zealand. In reviewing the general impressions of the results achieved in countries of widelyvarying political conceptions, he notes " Ihe large degree of similarity between methods adopted by States which differ widely in their political creed." "The modern technique is more or less universal. Whether it be a question of developing national resources, promoting national industry, controlling output, marketing and prices, regulating credit and currency, adjusting internal indebtedness, redistributing income by the taxation of large incomes and profits, or deflecting the course of international trade and capital, it is impossible to draw any firm distinctions along ideological lines These practices are the common property of all countries. Frequent examples of all of them may be found under every type of constitution Neither democratic nor totalitarian nor collcctivist societies have any monopoly in them.

" But if (he methods are similar. there is ;i fundamental difference in the results achieved, which is determined by the ultimate object in view. . . . "There is, however, no ultimate conciliation possible between social justice and preparation for war. Economically as well as ethically they are at opposite poles. War preparedness can only bv bought by the sacrifice of civilised living to a greater or lesser extent. Social justice is only attainable if the forces of production are har r.cssed to the causes of peace, without which the general progress of mankind is impossible Those who cooperate in the attempt to realise the ideals of the International Labour Organisation are the avowed servants of peace. Collective security is not merely a political conception, but demands for its realisation an economic order national and international, of which the cornerstone is social justice " WORK i\ COAL MINES At a recent meeting ol the International Labour Office in Geneva the Governing Body examined the replies received from the principal coal-pro-ducing countries on the possibility of calling.in Lh,e near future a technical

tripartite meeting concerning hours of work in coal mines. Four of these replies were amrmauve—those ol Belgium. Czechoslovakia France and the United States. Poland considered such a meeting opportune, on the condition that all coal-producinfi countries took part. The Netherlands was opposed to the proposed meeting; and Great Britain, Germany. Japan and the U.S.S.R. had not replied when the session opened. The Director of the i.L.Q (Mr Harold Butler) asked whether, in view of the replies received, it would not be desirable to convene a meeting which would discuss all the economic and social aspects of the coal industry—as had been done at the Washington Textile Conference-—and not only hours ol work. .... ,-. In the name of the British Government, Mr Norman stated that it would participate in such 'a meeting if the Governing Body decided to call it: but he fell dubious as to its usefulness, it all coal-producing countries did not take part, and if other aspects of the coal industry were not discussed and especially wages. Mr Kitaoka stated that the Japanese Government had no objection to the United States participating in ' >e proposed meeting, but it did not feel that the meeting should include extra-Euro-pean countries. ~,.», Mr Markus announced that the U S.S.R. had not vet taken any decision on the question of the proposed meeting. Mr Haydav (worker. Great Britain) said he was disappointed by the results of the consultation of the Governments The 1.L.0. was not responsible for the situation, which was due to the action of-certain Governments which had not been completely frank and open He particularly regretted the reserves expressed bv the British Government, and was surprised that the U.S.S.R. had not come to any decision on the mat-

ter. Countries with advanced social legislation should wish it, extended to other countries.- He insisted on the meeting being hel'l 1.1 October 1937, as proposed, m order to dissipate any doubtful and equivocal ideas. If the meeting did not secure the desired results, the workers would have.to.take the necessary steps themselves. Mr Godart expressed the very keen desire of the French Government to have such a meeting held as soon as P °Mr Kupers (worker, Netherlands) felt that his Government, though opposed to the meeting, would not refuse to take part if the Governing Body decided to call it. He added that the forthcoming elections in hjs, country might lead to a new Government, more favourable to the 40-hour week He hoped that the miners of all other countries would be able to enjoy the same privileges as their comrades in France and the United'States, and if their demand for a,40-hour week were again rejected, that they would not hesitate to call a strike.

Mr Kirkaldv (employer, Great Britain) recalled that the conference had already adopted two conventions on the reduction of hours of work in coal mines, but that had been ratified by one country only. He felt that it would be. therefore, useless, and even dangerous, to convene a new conference on the question, which, moreover, was not only a European one.

Mr Mertens (worker. Belgium) proposed that the decision previously reached, to convene a tripartite meeting, should be maintained. He was not opposed, however, to widening the scope of the meeting, as suggested, by the director.

Messrs Gemmill (employer. Union of South Africa) and Erulkar (emplover. India) supported the Japanese Government representative's position

with regard to extra-European coun r tries Mr Serrarens (worker, Netherlands) remarked that no one had opposed the discussion of the economic aspects of the problem, and this was a further reason why the extra-European countries should be. included in the proposed conference., . •■'■ Mr Vanek (employer, Czechoslovakia) stated that the members of his group had not,. been able to consult their principals on . the fresh points raised. He recalled that the economic aspects of the coal problem had been studied by organisations of the League of Nations, and it would be useful to know what stage they had reached.. Then, by 18 votes to 9,'the Governing Body, on the proposal,of Mr Mertens, decided that the technical tripartite meeting, which it was proposed to convene in October next to discuss the reduction of hours of' work' in coal mines, should also discuss the social and economic aspects of the problem, and that the director should submit at the June session of the Governing Body a report on the exact-nature of the said conference and the date on which it could usefully be convened.