LABOUR CONVENTIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23436, 26 February 1938, Page 21

LABOUR CONVENTIONS

THE INTERNATIONAL OFFICE RATIFICATION BY DOMINION (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON, Feb. 25. At an early date after the resumption of the session the Prime Minister (Mr Savage) will present a motion involving the assent of the New Zealand Parliament to the ratification of a number of Draft Conventions adopted by the International Labour Conferences at Geneva. Under Article 387 of the Treaty of Versailles the members of the League of Nations (of which New Zealand is one) are members of the International Labour Organisation which meets in conference yearly. Sixty-two Draft Conventions have been adopted at the various conferences held since 1919, Under Article 405 of the treaty each of the members undertakes that it will within one year from the closing of a session of the International Labour Conference, or if it is impossible, owing to exceptional circumstances, to do so within a period of one year, then at the earliest, practical moment not later than 18 months from the closing of the session, bring Draft Conventions before the authority or authorities within whose competence the matter lies for the enactment of legislation or other action. The competent authority in New Zealand is Parliament. Effect of Ratification The member is required, if it obtains the consent of the authority or authorities within whose competence the matter lies, to communicate the formal ratifications of draft conventions to the Secretary-general of the League of Nations and to take such action as may be-necessary to make effective the provisions of the Draft Convention. Any draft convention that is ratified by a member of the organisation is registered by the Secretary-general but is binding only upon the members which ratify it. Twenty-two of the conventions adopted by the conferences are covered by existing legislatiqp in New Zealand. In some cases New Zealand legislation is in advance of the terms of the Draft Conventions It is considered that in such cases the relative Draft Conventions should be ratified. The motion to be moved by the Prime Minister contains a list of the Draft Conventions in this category. Conventions Deferred Concerning the remaining 40 Draft Conventions, the broad principles of several of these are generally observed in New Zealand at present, but legislation would be required to give full effect to their provisions. In some cases the Draft Conventions are not applicable to New Zealand. It is the Government’s intention to examine carefully these remaining Draft Conventions before seeking further ratifications. Summaries of the main provisions of the Draft Conventions, with a brief note to each explaining the present position in New Zealand, have been prepared by the office of the Minister of Labour (Mr H. T. Armstrong), In conjunction with the motion for ratification, it is intended to give the House an opportunity for a discussion of the report of the New Zealand Government delegation to the International Labour Conference, 1937, gnd also the reports of the New Zealand workers’ and employers’ delegates respectively, to the same conference. List of Conventions Convention No. 1, 1919.—Hours of work (industrial undertaking), eight per day and 48 per week. The position in New. Zealand is covered by the Factories Act, 192122; the Factories Act, 1936, the Shops and Offices Act, 1936; the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925-36; the 'Coal Mines Act, 1925; the Mining Act, 1926; the Public Works Act,. 1928.

Convention No. 2, 1919.—System of free public employment agencies. The Employment Promotion Act, 1936, covers the main points in the convention. Convention No. 9, 1920.—Establishment of facilities for finding employment for seamen. The Shipping and Seamen Act, 1908, provides for penalties for demanding or receiving fees. Provisions are also made for mercantile marine officers and registration of seamen'. Convention No. 11, 1921.—-Rights of association and combination of agricultural workers. / The right to register unions and associations exists under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925. Convention No. 12, 1921.—Workmen’s compensation in agriculture. The Workers Compensation Act, 1922, makes no distinction or restriction in regard to agricultural workers. Convention No. 14, 1921.—Application of weekly rest in industrial undertakings. The general . principles are adopted in the New Zealand legislation and awards of the Arbitration Court. The Coal Mines Act, 1925, prohibits Sunday labour. The Factories Act, 1936, makes this provision. Awards under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act makes special provision in respect of work on Sundays. Workmen’s Compensation Convention No. 17, 1925.—Workmen’s compensation for accidents, etc. The Workers Compensation Act, 1922, covers the general principles contained in this convention. Convention No. 21, 1926.—Simplification of inspection of emigrants on board ship. " Immigrants to the Dominion are largely British subjects and the conditions for their welfare are controlled by the British Government. Convention No. 22, 1926. —Seamen’s articles of agreement. The shipping and Seamen Act, 1908, covers the general principles. Convention No. 26, 1928.—Creation of minimum wage fixing machinery. The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925, provides machinery which may be regarded as equivalent to the requirements of the convention. The Factories Act, 1921-22, and the Shops and Offices Act, 1921-22, prescribe the minimum wage to be paid to any person in a factory or shop. Provision is made in the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act for (a) representation, (b) co-operation, (c) enforcement. Convention No. 29. 1930.—Forced or compulsory labour, etc. The Government’s policy is in accord with the terms of the convention. Regulation of flours Convention No 30, 1930.—Regulation of hours of work in commerce , and offices.

The Shops and Offices Act, 192122, contains provisions regarding the employment of office assistants. The Shops and Offices Act, 1921-1936 provides for closing at noon on Saturday with certain exemptions. Offices attached to factories would observe factory hours; offices attached to shops ' would usually observe shop hours. Awards under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act regulate the hours of work in commerce and offices.

Convention No. 32, 1932.—Protection against accidents of workers in loading or unloading ships. In New Zealand the position is covered by the general harbour regulations made under the War Legislation and Statute Law Arrtendment Act, 1918, and reaffirmed by the Harbours Act, 1923.

Convention No. 41, 1934.—Employment of women during the night. The Factories Act, 1936 Amendment, restricts the employment of women and boys between 6 p.m and 8 a.m. Restricted overtime is allowed but with limited extension of three hours in any one day. ’ Convention No. 42, 1934.—Workmen’s compensStion for occupational diseases. The principle has been adopted in New Zealand. Certain diseases are already covered by the Workers’ Compensation 'Act, 1922, and provision has been made for extendinp it to other diseases. Convention No. 44. 1934.—Ensuring benefit or allowances to the involuntarily unemployed. The present unemployment legislation and schemes go further than the provisions of the convention. Convention No 45, 1934.—Prohibition of employment of women on underground work in mines of 'all kinds. The Coal Mines Act, 1925, prohibits the employment of women and boys in any capacity in or about a mine. Convention No. 47, 1935.—Reduction of hours of work to 40 a week. • The Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. 1936, and the Fac tories Act. 1936, cover the position Convention No. 49, 1935.—Reduction of hours of work in glass-bottle works. The 40-hour week is operating in New Zealand. Convention No. 51, 1936.—Reduction of hours of work on public works. The Public Works workers' agreement, 1936, provides for a 40-hour week, eight per day, time and a-half for overtime and double rates for Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Convention No. 53, 1936.—Minimum requirement of professional capacity for masters and officers on board merchant ships. The convention is covered in. New Zealand by the Shioping and Seamen Act, 1908, Part 11. Convention No. 61, 1937.—Reduction of hours of work in the textile industry. * The principles embodied in the convention are already in operation in the textile industry by awards of the Court of Arbitration grantedj under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act. 1936.