FORTY-FOUR HOURS WEEK

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 82, 6 May 1926, Page 5

FORTY-FOUR HOURS WEEK

ABORTIVE CONFERENCE EMPLOYERS STAND ITItM. PROCEEDINGS FRIENDLY, Press Associiition—CopyrißFiL . SYDNEY, May 5. At the request of the Iron Trades Unions a conference was held this morning between the employers and the union representatives to discuss the trouble over the ‘l4-hour week. In addition to representatives of all the affected unions, members of the disputes committee of the Labour Council attended. * After discussing at length the 44hour difficulty, the conference failed to reach any agreement. The Labour council asked the employers to work the Federal unionists 44 hours for 44 hours’ pay, undertaking to ask the unions if they would accept whatever new Federal awards might be issued. The employers considered the proposal and announced they intended to maintain the attitude they had already adopted, that the Federal awards must'"be observed in their entirety. They declared that if the unions were sincere in their intention to uphold recognised authority, they should immediately instruct their members to uphold the existing Federal awards until a-.y alterations were made by the Federal Arbitration Court. Proceedings were friendly on both sides, but after the conference Mr J. Garden, secretary to the disputes committee, said that the unions had explored every channel in the hope of finding a compromise, but the employers were adamant. As they wanted a fight, they would get it, as the men were determined not to go back to the 48 hours week or to do Saturday work. UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASING. MOVE BY" EXTREMISTS. (Received 11.10 a.m.) SYDNEY, May 6. The announcement, made by Mr Baddeley that the Government'would see that Die wives and families of strikers did not starve was received with jubilation in union circles. In many cases individual unions have made provision for strike pay. The number of names on the out-of-work books is increasing daily. The Labour Council has taken charge of tlfo strike on bshalf of iho unions. Several offers of financial assistance were received from other States. The extremists, who have bo";: taking part in the mo said to be endeavouring to inaugurate irritation tactics as a protest against the Union of employers. Their aim is that the unionists engaged m as many industries as possible should adopt pin-prick measures and should take, generally, any retaliatory measmes open to them. ; THE ARBITRATION COURT. ' . .RESTRICTED - PO WERS, v (Received 11.15 a.m.j MELBOURNE, May C.

In a statement made in the Arbi* t rat ion Court the Deputy-President, Sir John Quick, expressed grave doubts whether , the Arbitration Court as at present constituted and in view of existing legal and political circumstances had power to deal with the question of the forty-four hour week at all. He refused to rofer a case to the Full Court for consideration. holding it to he a waste of*time on his part to do so; and he directed the case to be referred to the new Arbitration Court when it is established. Sir John Quick said that in industries generally which come within the scope of Commonwealth awards the Court had power only to settle industrial disputes extending beyond the limits of one State. In specific cases which were brought before it it con'd give a decision declaring what should be the hours of any industry cjb branch of industry, but it could not lay down a rule of general application.