ARBITRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3912, 5 March 1929, Page 2

ARBITRATION.

UNION BOYCOTT.

FAR-REACHING EFFECT. (From Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, February 14. The decision of the Australian Council of Trade Unions to institute a boycott against the Commenwealth Arbitration Court bids 'air t overshadow the timber workers’ strike, which has been mainly responsible for the new tactics. It is likely to rnve such far-reaching effects that the rank and file of the unions will probably demand a say in the matter, and if this should prove to be the case an interesting position will be created, in which the future of the A.C.T.U. as well as the future of arbitration in Australia will be involved. Many keen observers are already predicting the end of the Arbitration Court, and the substitution

of round table conferences, and perhaps a little more gentle persuasion in the form of direct action.

There is a distinct fear among the unions that the court, having reverted to the 48-hour week in the ease of the timber men, will not hesitate to do so when other unions that have won a shorter working week comes before it. A special meeting of the council nad been called to consider the treatment that had been meted on*- to the timber workers, and when the .conference assembled special attention was directed to a statement credited to the president of the Victorian Employers’ Federation (Mr T. R. Ashworth). This, it was said, had con firmed the belief that the court had adopted a policy of reducing wages and imposing longer working hours in all industries. Therefore the following resolution was passed;— “ That all unions now before the Fede ral Arbitration Court be urged not to proceed with their claims or appear before the court officially.

The Carters and Drivers' Union, which has a large number of members already involved in the timber workers’ strike, was not permitted to withdraw its log jf claims from the court. These claims were already listed to be heard before Judge Lukin, who had delivered the award for the timber workers, over which the strike had occurred. Opposition to the withdrawal of the claims was made by the employers, and it is understood that certain legal technicalities prevented unions from cancelling their registrations under the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Should effect be given to the A.C.T.U. decision, it is probable that a majority of the large organisations in Australia, many of which have expressed isfaction with the awards of the court, will be called upon to sever their association with that institution. This would, in many cases, be a severe handcap to the unionists concerned, and, in the opinion of some far-seeing officials, would place them in a far worse position than they are to-day. It is expected that approximately 600,000 unionit3 throughout the Commonwealth will be affected if the boycott is persisted with. This would be a death blow to the court and to arbitration generally. Commenting on the decision, the secretary of the A.C.T.U., Mr C. Crofts said that when introducing the amending Arbitration Bill the Attorney-general (Mr Latham) had declared that the Bill was specifically introduced to bring about a reduction in what Mr Latham termed, unreal standards of the workers of Australia, in comparison with the workers of other parts of the world. It was also intended to bring the wages of skilled artisans more in conformity with the rates of pay of workers in these countries that were in competition. Air Crofts added that, having done that, the

court would proceed to deal with the sheltered industries, such as railways, tramways, shop asistants, gas workers, clerks and others who would, of course, be brought down to, or below the level that was being forced on the skilled artisans.

After a period of comparative obscurity, Mr A. C. Willis, vice-president of the Executive Council in the Lang Government, and formerly leader of the miners, made a remarkable “ come back ” to prominence by a definite and bitter attack upon the Commonwealth Arbitration Court at the metropolitan conference of the Australian Labour Party, held at Sydney this week. The presence of Air Willis, after his temporary retirement from A.L.P. activities, caused much interest, and there was excitement when he rose during a heated debate on the “ timber workers ” strike. “ You cannot expect to get justice from the court,” he said. “ They are only there to work the machine. The time has come when the trade union movement must reconsider the whole position. You must now say whether you want arbitration or not by taking a definite stand. The timber workers are only a cypher. When they finish with them they will only start another union. When you went to the Arbitration Court you put your hands into a machine. You knew what you were doing, but you did it, and now you are groaning and complaining because the machine is crushing you. You will be simply crushed one after another.

The fact that the Prime Alinister saw fit to issue a special appeal to unionists to preserve the arbitration system was evidence that he regarded as serious the A.C.T.U. threat. He said that it was not a political question, and he hoped that it would not be so regarded. Generally speaking, the system had worked reasonably well, but it had to be remembered that during the period it gave satisfaction Australian was very prosperous. It seemed unthinkable that they would have to admit that their dreams of 20 years ago were but dreams, and that they were going to drift back and have disputes settled according to the will of the strongest. For his part he would never be a party to allowing that to happen. Australia had affirmed the principle of conciliation and arbitration, and there was only one course that a Government could pursue, no matter what its political views might be —“ to maintain the laws of the country. It was not a political question, but one of administration. He said that he did not over-estimate the significance of the decision of the A.C.T.U. and he emphasised that it had acted without consulting the rank and file. The A.C.T.U. had made itself prominent in three strikes, which had caused a great deal of suffering and distress without centering any advantage whatever on the workers.