LABOUR.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 14215, 3 June 1910, Page 5

LABOUR.

THE SHEARERS' AWARD. Per Press Association. CHR.ISTCHURCH, June 2. The conditions in the shearing industry were before the Conciliation Council this morning, the employers liaving formulated a number of demands, including the reduction of the shearing rate to 17s 6d per 100. When this demand was reached, Mr Laracy, for the workers, said it was quite useless to discuss the matter, because the Union would not accept less than £1 a hundred for machine or blade shearing. _ A statement was made that tmionists would not shear at a lower rate.

The Commissioner: Have you thought of the consequences ? _ Mr Laracy replied that they had considered them. Where there was no engagement there could be no strike, and there could be no prosecution except for a strike.

The Commissioner said he had seen it stated that unionists would not work if the Arbitration Court made an award that did not satisfy them. This was a dangerous position to -take up. If awards were ignored, the whole Act would be endangered. The Commissioner appealed to the men to stand by the Act which had rendered great services to the industry in the past. Mr Laracy said the Union's representatives had no power to deal with the question. The Union was opposed to strikes, but it was going to refuse to make engagements.

The Commissioner said that if the Union refused to work under the award, it ignored the Court, and if one or two Unions did the same the Court would bo done away with. Mr Laracy: If the Act goes altogether we cannot help that. Wo want £1 a 100.