INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26354, 8 January 1947, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

PRESIDENT’S SOLUTION REFERENCE TO FINAL COMMISSION . WASHINGTON, (Rec 9.15 p.m.) Jan. 6. An important present danger in America, said President Truman, continuing his address to the joint session of Congress, was the possibility that prices might be raised beyond the consumers’ purchasing power. Recent price increases had denied to many workers much of the value of the recent wage increases. Farmers likewise found that a large part of their increased income was absorbed by increased prices, while persons with fixed incomes suffered hardship. Industry should not only hold the line on existing prices, but should also make reductions whereever profits justified such action. Labour should refrain from pressing for unjustified wage increases that would force increases in price levels. Recommending a labour programme to prevent strikes, Mr Truman cautioned Congress against punitive legislation. “We must not, in order to punish a few labour leaders, pass vindictive laws restricting the proper rights of the labour rank and file,” he said. “We must not, under the stress of emotion, endanger American freedom by taking ill-considered action.” Mr Truman referred to the 1946 strikes and said that management shared with labour the responsiblity for failure to reach agreements which would have averted the strikes. “ Therefore,” he said, “we must realise that industrial peace cannot be achieved merely by laws directed aganst labour unions. Free, collective bargaining should continue as the

national labour policy. Legislation should be enacted to correct certain labour and management abuses and provide additional Governmental assistance in bargaining. Mr Trnman recommended a fourpoint programme to reduce indus-' trial strife.:— First, jurisdictional strikes between rival unions should be prohibited as indefensible. Secondly, secondary boycotts, when used to further jurisdictional disputes or other unjustifiable objectives, snould be prohibited. Thirdly, legislation should be enacted by which 'either party could refer a dispute to a final commission to inquire into the entire field of labour and management relations.

He recommended that the industrial commission should be composed of 12 Congressmen of both parties and eight representatives of the public, management and labour appointed by the President. The commission should examine the question of how to settle or prevent strikes without endangering the genera] democratic freedoms. Mr Truman reminded Congress that the paralysing effects of nation-wide strikes in key industries, such as transportation, coal, oil and street communications, could result in national disaster which had been avoided in recent years only by using extraordinary war powers, all of which would soon be ended In their place there must be created an adequate system and effective machinery. Mr Truman urged the commission to make its first report, including specific legislative recommendations, not later than March 15. He requested Congress to co-operate in preventing whole industries from being dominated by a few large monopolistic organisations, which would restrict production in the interest of higher profits. He recommended that 580,000 low-rental houses should be built in the next four years. Issuing a warning that in. the next few years American agriculture may faceV> e same dangers as after the First World War. Mr Truman recommended that foreign and domestic markets should be expanded to provide outlets for farm surpluses. He said that the people in the United States had recently witnessed numerous attacks upon- the constitutional rights of individual citizens as a result of racial and religious bigotry. New legislation would be necessary to protect the rights thereby jeopardised. The President’s Committee on Civil Rights was now studying the problem with a view to making recommendations to Congress.