ONUS PLACED ON UNION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19896, 25 March 1939, Page 13

ONUS PLACED ON UNION

PROOF OP CHANGES OBJECTION TO EXEMPTIONS (Por Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. "The court will not in any circumstances change its policy, and will not make alterations without cogent reasons; in other words, the onus is on the union in such cases as this to prove that there has been any definite change in the conditions," said Mr. Justice O'Regan in the Court of Arbitration yesterday, in dealing with applications for exemption by several parties 'from the Now Zealand (except Westland) plumbers and gaslitters' award. For the employers, Mr. D. I. Macdonaki; of Christchurch, asked that all the present exemptions should be renewed. Mr. PI. J. Bishop made application on behalf of the Colonial Sugar Refining company, the Auckland Transport Board and all freezing companies, all of which had existing exemptions. Mr. K. Bedford,' appeared for the Union Steam Ship Company, Limited and the Wellington Patent Slip Company seeking exemption. The applications were opposed by Mr. H. Thompson, advocate for the workers. A ruling was sought by Mr. Bishop from the court on its attitude to exemptions. "I have a distinct recollection that this matter was very fully argued on a previous occasion. I am also aware, though I have no personal knowledge of it, that it was fully argued before Mr. Justice Page," said His Honour. The matter had given the court a great, deal of trouble and had occupied a considerable time, said His Honour. He made it clear that the onus was on the union to prove definite changes in the conditions to the court, to substantiate its objection to the exemptions.