SCRAMBLE FOR POSITIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26410, 14 March 1947, Page 7

SCRAMBLE FOR POSITIONS

ACTIVITY IN MAJOR UNIONS Sec. 11.30 p.m. CANBERRA, Mar. 13. Labour members expect that all 15 conciliation commissioners to be appointed under the amending arbitration legislation now before Parliament will be trade union officials. More than 70 applications have already been, received for the jobs, which carry a salary of £ 1500 a year. Realising the key nature of the posts, practically every major unioncin the Commonwealth is trying to get its nominee appointed. A battle is expected between the militants and the more moderate members of the party. So far, however, no nominations have been considered. Three permanent commissioners under the existing scheme are almost certain of reappointment.

In addition to men with specialist knowledge, the intention is to form a small “ flying squad" of conciliation commissioners, who will be sent from point to point as disputes arise in the hope that their early intervention will prevent industrial dislocation.

Strong support for the new Bill was expressed by union leaders to-day. Mr R/ King, secretary 1 of the Labour Council, said that in the past two years there had been many tedious delays in the hearing of workers’ claims. The new Bill should eliminate many of these and make for a greater degree of industrial harmony. "The new Bill will go a long way towards streamlining arbitration,” said Mr T. Dougherty, general secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union. .

Employers generally take an opposite view. “The industrial

affairs of the coal industry provide' an outstanding example of the chaos and confusion which arise

from a so-called streamlining of the arbitration system,” said Mr R. W. Davie, secretary of the New South Wales Combined Colliery Proprietors’ Association. "As the Commonwealth Board of Inquiry stated, this cult of the untrained is weighing like a dead hand on the progress of industry.”