ONE-SIDED SYSTEM

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17639, 1 December 1931, Page 7

ONE-SIDED SYSTEM

THE ARBITRATION ACT GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSALS (P«r Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Ibis day. The Coalition Government’s intentions regarding tho Arbitration Act were referred to by the Rt. ilon. <L W. Forbes in the Town Hall last night. He said it was intended to overhaul the whole system. Instead of allowing industry to expand it kept it in a straightjacket. The chairman of the Unemployment Board had said that the greatest difficulty was experienced iu placing men other than navvies in work owing to the Arbitration Act. Unemployment was the Government’s first and most pressing problem. Any restrictions thatstood in the way of men getting back into employment 'he was out to do his best to sweep away. (Applause and dissent), lie had been informed by many employers that they were willing to retain their staffs, but owing to the reduced turnover they were unable to do so at the same rate of pay. A voice: Now we know where you stand. Mr. Forbes: So these men have to go out as unemployed. The voice: Now we’ve got you. Mr. Forbes: That difficulty must he overcome. It is our intention to deal with it.

Touching on the operation of the system generally, Mr. Forbes said if the court proceeded in the direction of increasing wages it was all right, but if it went in the direction of reducing wages it was all wrong, and at times retaliation by strike was threatened. That was not true arbitration, and such a one-sided system could not ho allowed to continue.