INDUSTRIAL WORLD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23690, 23 December 1938, Page 3

INDUSTRIAL WORLD

NEWS AND NOTES By J. T. Paul In accepting the essential unity of the human race, we must regard humanity in entirety as a great collective being, a social organism of which the different nations represent the living members. It is evident, from this point of view, that no people can live in itself, by itself, or for itself, but that the life of each one is merely an individual share in the general life of humanity.—Vladimar Solovev. GREETINGS I desire to convey to readers the season’s greetings. • The custom is very old, but the fact that age has not impaired the warmth of sentiment or the sincerity behind Christmas wishes proves its genuineness. At this time the world appears to be closer to tangible realities and its great heart more nearly natural than at others. May the season of peace and goodwill towards all men extend throughout the coming year and afterwards. GLASSWORKERS’ AWARD A 40-hour five-day week and a slight Increase in wages have been embodied in the new award for the Auckland glassworks employees, a delay in securing which caused men employed by the Australian Glass Manufacturers’ Company, Ltd., at Penrose, to stop work early last month. The new award has been issued by the industrial magistrate, Mr J. A. Gilmour, and with the exception of wages and an nual holidays, he states that the matters in dispute have been settled on the lines of the award which was made on October 21 of last year. In a memorandum, Mr Gilmour covers all the chief points in the new award. At the time of making the expired award, he states, the court had not finally decided upon the policy it proposed to adopt with regard to wages of adult male weekly workers generally, and in making the award it granted an increase of only 4s a week on the 1931 rates, as against the 5s a week awarded to weekly workers covered by the sugar refinery employees’ award made on December 2, Accordingly he had increased the weekly wages of operators, operators’ assistants, sorters, and firemen by Is to bring them into line with the court’s pronouncement made later. The weekly rate of wages for yard hands, packers, and bach-house workers has been fixed by Mr Gilmour at £4 10s, In accordance with the rate awarded to storemen in the recent storemen and packers’ award. " Unlike the operators, operators’ assistants, sorters, and firemen, whose overtime payments for working on Sundays and holidays bring their average weekly earnings to amounts ranging from £6 to £9 10s, the yard hands, packers, and bach-house workers work little overtime and, generally speaking, the wage fixed by the award represents their actual weekly earnings,” states Mr Gilmour. Workers other than sorters and firemen have been granted one week’s annual holiday on full pay. while sorters and firemen, who received one week’s holiday under the expired award, have been granted an additional week. WATERFRONT WORKERS’ CONDITIONS No agreement was reached in the Conciliation Council appointed to consider the new award to cover waterfront work in New Zealand. The New Zealand Transport Worker states: "For some weeks past the representatives of the employers of waterside labour and those of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union have been discussing the question of wages and conditions of employment for Workers engaged in connection with the work of loading and discharging ships. It is nothing new to have lengthy conferences m arranging an agreement for this important industry. but as a rule, when conferences of this kind took place, the parties have been able to arrive at a complete agreement, and may we point out too, that in an industry such as the waterfront where casual labour is employed, it has been found to be essential that the award or agreement should be very * comprehensive and deal with all phases of employment. For this we have been, criticised a great deal, but unless there is a comprehensive agreement the work in the industry cannot possibly run smoothly, for the men concerned would be making agreements on the job day after day. “ Less than two years ago the parties were then meeting in conference, and after some four weeks’ sitting in Wellington arrived at a complete agreement, During that conference every phase of waterside activity was fully discussed, and the waterside workers were of the opinion that negotiations at this conference would naturally be of short duration as the last agreement made provision for practically all the requirements of the engagement, employment and dismissal of labour on the waterfront, together with their conditions of employment generally, The employers’ claims, however, ask for many alterations. and this has delayed proceedings considerably. “The parties have been unable to arrive at an agreement, and no doubt the question will now have to be determined by some other authority. Whether this will be the Court of Arbitration or some other tribunal the Transport Worker cannot say There has been a public demand for an investigation into waterside work for some time past The Transport Worker states that the waterside workers welcome such an investigation, and we have not yet seen any desire on the part of the employers to give that point of view any serious consideration.

“ We regret that the parties have been unable to arrive at an agreement, for we are convinced that those who are closely associated with the industry. both the workers' and the employers’ side, should be better able to arrive at an agreement which would be more practical of application than any other body.”' LABOUR ORGANISATION IN AMERICA The youngest and most militant Labour movement in America to-day stood forth under its new, permanent title of “ Congress of Industrial Organisations,” thus adroitly preserving the abbreviated title of its predecessor. the informal Committee for Industrial Organisation, wrote a staff correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor from Pittsburgh on November HI. In adopting a name and constitution befitting a permanent labour federation at its constitutional convention here, the new C. 1.0, declared for determined adherence to obligations and responsibilities under collective bargaining and wage agreements—thus seeking to strengthen a weak snot in certain of the new unions, par ticularly the United Automobile Workers of the old C. 1.0 As against charges of Communism which have damaged its prestige, the Congress took as one of its objects “to protect and extend our democratic institutions and civil rights and liberties and thus to perpetuate the cherished traditions of our democracy.” The plan? of leader? and tempo' of the contention were clearly directed to a long-time career of independence for the new labour alliance annrt from further association with the parent labour body the American Federation of Labour. Peace moves have apparently been shelved indefinitely by the C. 1.0., a? it recorded itself officialh' for unity only’ on its own terms. The C. 1.0 ’* formula for peace would ndmuted’y enable it to gain control of the A.F of L. and ou«t William Green a? its president. Offered a year ago in the neaep negotiations then current, the CLO proposal wa? relented hv thf A.F. of L. Consequently, this week’s convention clarifies the outlook for reunion. Evidently at this moment there is none.

Pressing its business with unusual speed, the C. 1.0. endorsed the economic theory of running industry, under extensive Government direction, at lull production, meantime giving employment to every worker, a recommendation outlined by John L. Lewis, C.i.O. chairman, in his lengthy report to the convention.

The president of the new C. 1.0. is given more power by its constitution than the president of the A.F. of L. No other name for this office is discussed than Mr Lewis. By the nature of its origins, the C. 1.0. is a more centralised body. Greater reliance on political action than has been customary in the labour movement for the past half-century was at once manifested by the new organisation. In its preamble, it declared itself the instrumentality whereby labour will achieve and extend industrial and political democracy. The convention adopted a report observing, in part, that a vast amount of legislation is needed to protect and advance the cause of labour in this country, and that it has become the task of the C. 1.0, to see that this legislation is enacted and protected. This report was made by the committee which analysed Mr Lewis's report and urged its adoption. AGAINST RUNAWAY STRIKES The rigorous observance of contracts with employers, frequently a troubled problem in a new, impetuous and as yet undisciplined labour union, was unequivocally endorsed by the Congress of Industrial Organisations in its initial series of formal resolutions at the Pittsburgh conference. This pledge reinforces a similar renunciation of the unauthorised or runaway strike written into the new C. 1.0. constitution, adopted at the first sitting „ In addition the Executive Board of the C. 1.0. is given authority to intervene whenever any of its unions is " conducting its affairs and activities contrary to the provisions of the constitution.” The board can investigate, recommend action to the union, and if the advice is ignored can ask the next C. 1.0. convention to take measures. These provisions are made by the new C. 1.0. in an effort to build up union responsibility Nevertheless (observes the Monitor correspondent), the problem of the spontaneous strike of a group of the rank and file taken without the authority of the national officers still remained a ponderable one, as was indicated by some delegates of new unions where the runaway strike has led to difficulties. They discounted the new resolution, and declared that their policy had- always been to abide by contracts, but that when employers put undue pressure on workers, the workers rebelled. This is the resolution: “ Resolved: That it is the unshakable policy of the C. 1.0. and its affiliated organisations to adhere to their contractual obligations in letter and in spirit, and the C. 1.0. undertakes to throw its full weight and influence into the balance to affect such adherence,”

Thus the C. 1.0. put in writing and stood committed to-day to a policy toward which its leader (Mr John L. Lewis) and his staff have stood and worked during the last few turbulent years. It was the delegates themselves who this time gave their formal assent. In brief, a new moral restraint has been created. Besides that. Mr Lewis and his board have been given official power to step into bad situations. Apparently it will take more time to consolidate self-control throughout the new membership of the C. 1.0. Discipline, as it is said in both the A.F. of L. and C. 1.0., is a matter of education Even with time..an old union occasionally finds an unauthorised strike breaking out somewhere. Mr Lewis’s own union, the United Mine Workers, observing its half century next year, has had its unofficial walk-outs in recent years. But if no complete solution of the question of union responsibility can be brought about at any one convention, this is only a footnote to the major fact, which is that important progress has been made here this week where most needed. ;f

THE 1.L.0, YEAR BOOK, 1937-38 What is the present situation of the 40-hour week in France? How are the United States putting into force their vast social insurance scheme? What are various countries dqing to reabsorb the army of unemployed? What is the membership of the International Federation of Trade Unions? The answers to these and many other questions, when they can be found at all, are scattered through an enormous number of national' and International publications. And so the need is felt for a publication which, year by year and country by country should survey the situation up to date of all the complex problems described as "social questions.” Only an international organisation, equipped like the International Labour Office and in permanent touch with Governments and the leading employers and workers’ organisatinos, is in a position to undertake the publication of such a work. The office first took up this task some years ago. It now publishes the 1.L.0. Year Book, 1937-38, the eighth year of issue, a copy of which I acknowledge with thanks. The object of the Year Book is to set forth the most important events from the industrial and labour point of view which have occurred throughout the world during the period under review. It is not confined to dry enumeration of legislative measures and to summaries of their main provisions, but endeavours, as far as possible, to relate them to the circumstances which led to their adoption. It follows, for example, the ups and downs of a proposed reform from the moment when the workers’ claims were first put forward up to the passing and enforcement of the new legislation describing on the way the parliamentary debates and the movements of public opinion, with special reference, of course, to the attitude adopted by Governments, employers, and workers. The work consists of a reneral introduction and eight chapters, followed by an appendix. The general introduction summarises the activities of the International Labour Organisation itself during the period covered. The first of the eight chapters deals with economic developments and describes in a few pages, illustrated by numerous graphs, the main lines of the changes which have occurred in the world economic situation.

The following chapters deal with social questions in the strict sense of the term and, first of all, with conditions of work. Social insurance (chapter 3) follows and includes 52 small monographs describing the changes in the various national systems. and general, conclusions which give a picture of social insurance as a whole at the end of the period under review. Chapter 4 covers the remuneration of labour,

In the next chapter the problems of employment and unemployment are discussed; the measures taken in the various countries to educate or retrain the worker, to increase the possibilities of employment, in particular by large-scale public works, the provision of unemployment benefit and relief, and the special measures for non-manual workers, young people and older workers.

Chapter 6 is devoted to migration. Under the inclusive title of "Workers’ General Rights” chapter 7 gives information upon a whole series of questions which are prominent to-day. The subjects discussed are: The right of combination in trade unions, profitsharing and workers’ participation in management, collective agreements, conciliation and arbitration, the individual contract of service, the administration of labour law, scientific management and the participation of workers in national economic life. There is also an account of developments in the co-operative movement.

The appendix contains tables giving the list of States Members of the International Labour Organisation and of the permanent delegates accredited to the Office in Geneva, the pumber and distribution of the ratifications of International Labour Conventions registered during the last year, the composition of delegations to the International Labour Conference, and lists of the members of all the committees set up in connection with the

office. A further series of tables gives the membership statistics of the great international workers’ federations and of the central national organisations affiliated to them. Three tables are also inset showing the state of ratification of conventions on March 15. 1938,