THE CODE OF LAW

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 62, Issue 4427, 19 May 1941, Page 8

THE CODE OF LAW

IS ENFORCEMENT UNIVERSAL ? In view of developments in recent months, and with regard to the action of certain militant sections of the community, and remembering also the enforcement of the legal code in many other directions, it is of interest to note the provision of an Emergency Regulation which the Government enacted on 4th October, 1939. This regulation is styled “ The Strike and Lock-out Emergency Regulation, 1939,” and in its definitions it stipulates:— “ Minister ” means the Minister of Labour; “Strike” includes any strike within the meaning of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1925; “ Strike ” also includes (a) the act of any number of workers who are or have been in the employment, whether of the same employer or of different employers: (i) in discontinuing that employment, whether wholly or partially, or (ii) in breaking their contracts of service, or (iii) in refusing or failing after any such discontinuance to resume or return to their employment, or (iv) in refusing or failing to accept engagement for any work in which they are usually employed; (b) any reduction in the normal output of workers in their employment; (c) any other transaction tion, agreement, common understanding, or concerted action on the part of any workers, being (in any of the aforesaid cases marked (a), (b), and (c) of this definition), intended or having a tendency to interfere with the manufacture, production, output, supply, delivery, or carriage of goods or articles or carriage of persons in or in connection with any industry or undertaking or otherwise to interfere with the effective conduct of any industry or undertaking.

“ Lock-out ” includes ano lock-out within the meaning of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925. “ Lock-out ” also includes (a) the act of an employer (i) in closing his place of business, or suspending or discontinuing his business in any branch thereof, or (ii) in discontinuing the employment of any workers, whether wholly or partially, or (iii) ir. breaking his contract of service, or (iv) in refusing or failing to engage workers for any work for which he usually employs workers; (b) any other- transaction in the nature of a lock-out; (c) any transaction in the nature of a combination, agreement, common understanding, or concerted action on the part of any employers relating to or connected with the employment of workers, being (in any of th.e aforesaid cases marked (a), (b), and (cl of this definition, intended or having a tendency to interfere

-with -the manufacture, production, output, supply, delivery, or carriage of goods or articles or carriage of persons in or in connection with any industry or undertaking or otherwise to interfere with the effective conduct of any industry or undertaking. 3. During the continuance of these ; regulations no person shall (a) be a I party to a strike or lock-out, or (b) I encourage or procure a strike or lockout or the continuance of a strike or lock-out, or (c) incite iany person or any class of persons or persons in general to be or to continue to be a party or parties to a strike or lockout.