INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2424, 30 August 1900, Page 51

INDUSTRIAL CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION.

IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS BY THE LABOUR BILLS COMMITTEE. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES INCLUDED. (Froii Oue Ov.'n Coehespondext.) WELLINGTON, August 23. The amending bill has come back from the committee with a large number of amendments, «ome of which are of considerable importance. Any two employers and any seven workers can now form an association or a union. The numbers mentioned in the present act are five and ten respectively. There is, however, another amendment which will practically have the effect of bringing all employers and all workers under the provisions of the act, even though they are not banded together os an association or oe a union. Furthermore, all workers, whether skilled or unskilled, mny avail themselves of the provisions of the act, so that the clerk will have equal rights with the navvy in applying to the Conciliation Board or the Arbitration Court should he deem that hi& employer is in any way treating him unfairly. A most important and, perhaps, necessary amendment is in the direction of making an award of general application in the case of manufacturers whose products are interchangeable. This will meet a case such as

was recently quoted in which the Auckland clothing manufacturers were able, owing to v the lower wages which they paid, to send their products to places as far off as Web' linglon and Christchurch to the detriment o£' the local manufacturers, who were bound to a higher " log." The scale of wages can, i£ this clause passes, be now made to apply to similar trades throughout the colony. Another important amendment is that the courf in any dispute will have the power of de. fining what are allied trades. For instance, the bricklayers, carpenters, painters, and such trades are all allied to the building trade, and can be made subject to an aworj relating to a building trade dispute. Tho maximum term of an award is extended from" two to three years, and, notwithstanding the/ expiry of tho term of an industrial agreement or award, it will continue in fore« until superseded by another agreement ov award of the court. Power is provided whereby employers and employees may appoint a board of their own to deal with a dispute, all the members of such boards, except tho chairman, being experts in the particular trade in question. Finally, the clause exempting Government employees from the operations of tho act has been struck out. so that they also shall hay© power to appeal to the board or the court.