SETTLED POLICY ADVOCATED

Southland Times, Issue 24547, 23 September 1941, Page 6

SETTLED POLICY ADVOCATED

Arbitration Court’s Functions (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 22. A suggestion that during the war appeals to the Arbitration Court for changes in awards might be postponed was made by Mr H. F. Butland, secretary of the Canterbury Employers’ Association, at the annual meeting. He said that the Court should lay down a settled policy and suggested that the Industrial Emergency Council had power to meet most emergencies during the war. At present, w’th awards being improved all the time, workers had nothing to lose and everything to gain by not settling in Conciliation Council and going on to the Arbitration Court. A general policy formula laid down by the Court would obviate that. In a brief reference o the second Court of Arbitration Mr Butland said: “I do not wish to say much about it, but it was not a success apart from the personal side of it. It had no chance of settling matters on a policy formulated by another Court.” There had been too many changes of personnel in the Court of Arbitration in recent years to give satisfaction, Mr Butland added. Four judges had sat in the last six years. At one time there had been two courts and an industrial magistrate all. sitting, which meant three separate authorities dealing with industrial disputes. Mr Butland expressed the hope that the present judge of the Court would remain long enough in office for a settled policy to be formulated and stated so that the parties would know what to expect.