WORLD OF LABOUR

Southland Times, Issue 17627, 16 April 1914, Page 5

WORLD OF LABOUR

independent labour conference. By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright* LONDON, April 15. 1 Received April 15, 10.15 p.m. The Independent Labour Conference passed a resolution by two hundred and eighty-three to seventy-eight condemning the Cabinet system and favouring the independent action of Parliament. Mr F. W. Jowett, M.P. (Labour), who was elected chairman, said that the Labour members of the House of Commons were loval to Home Rule but were blackmailed constantly and compelled to vote t against their consciences sometimes fop - the deliberate purpose of keeping the Government in office. He refused to be a bond slave. A resolution was passed protesting against the increased armaments and urging an international arbitration, board to settle disputes between nations. It also condemned the attempt to subvert the army for political purposes.

UNION SECRETARIES' CONTERKTNCE. SOME IMPORTANT RESOLUTION'S, (Per United Press Association). WELLINGTON'. April 15. The conference of arbitration Uniorf secretaries to-day considered remits regarding the Industial and Conciliation Arbitration Act. The following was a. summary of the results officially supplied — , , In regard to section one hundred and twenty-eight, sub-section B. dealing with permits to work, it was agreed that two days' notice instead of six; should be given for the hearing of such, applications for permit. In definition of a lock-out it was decided that section four should be mader to read as follows, new words being shown in parenthesis —“In this Act th® term 'lock-out’ means the act of an employer in closing his place of business or suspending or discontinuing his business or anv branch thereof (or), discharging anv of his employees whos» places are filled by other workers, within, fourteen days after the discharge, thadischarged employee being at the time capable of performing the work allotted, to him’’ Then follows a further definition of lock-out and what inconvenience to workers means. Section six, deaJinjr with unlawful strikes, should, m fn* opinion of the conference. be deleted. In connection with sub-scction three or section nine, requiring the serving of notices to employers and worker before striking and inflicting special penalties with regard to strikers and lock-outs in certain specified industries, a motion, suggesting that this portion of the Act should lie deleted was carried. A similar course was taken in regard to th® penalty for unions that could not meet the amount of a judgment. It was derided that three days should be substituted for ten days in sub-section two of section sixty, in which it is stated— A worker shall be deemed to be dismissed, within the meaning of the section if he is suspended for a longer period than, te 'i* r"ahVr remit tarried was that the following new section., should be added to , ho Ac t Thai it shall be obligatory upon. the employer to grant leave of absence to any employee when he has been elected bv his union to attend to any union business, or as an assessor to attend the Conciliation Council that governs that particular dispute, irrespectit e of where he is employed. . The conference resolved to urge tne Government to amend the Act in. the following direction—That In the event of a dispute arising between employers and employees, advertisement in local paper* and announcement in the Gazette shaJl be a sufficient citation to the employers and employees involved in the dispute. Section eleven of the 1911 Act. as agreed should be amended to - read as follows —That a sitting of the Court bo held in the cities of Auckland, M ellmgton Christchurch and Dunedin once in each two months, to deal with any dispute which is referred to the Court, and that all decisions be given within thirty days from the date of bearing of the dis, pute. .. . Another recommendation earned as follows—“No person or corporate body shall be exempt from becoming parties to an industrial dispute, nor* shall thev be exempt from becoming parties to an industrial dispute, nor shall they be exempt from the provisions of an industrial aggeement or award of th® Arbitration Court. The conference bus adjourned until to-morrow.