THE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20511, 1 September 1936, Page 6

THE INDUSTRIAL SITUATION

MUCH UNEASINESS PRIME MINISTER ADVISES PATIENCE By lelegraob—Prest Association WELLINGTON, August 31. Industrial problems which have shown signs of arising during the last few weeks as a result of decisions of the Arbitration Court regarding the application of the 40-hour week were the subject of comment this evening by the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage). Although the Prime Minister agreed that there was a measure of uneasiness among certain unions whose claims for shorter hours had been rejected, he said the Government’s objective had been clearly stated and only impatience on the part of the workers could prevent it from being attained.

It was suggested to Mr Savage that some members of his own party inside the House were uneasy concerning the industrial situation, and that a section of them held that precipitate action on the part of disappointed unions might seriously embarrass the Government. The Prime Minister admitted that there might be some force in that argument, but added that the whole position was being carefully watched by the Government.

“Our promise to the workers during the election campaign was that we would restore their rights under the Arbitration Court," Mr Savage said. “That promise has been more than fulfilled. Their rights have been extended over and above that. We said that we were going to give the workers the benefits of the machine age. As the initial step in that direction we laid down the principle of the application of the 40 hour week in industries where it could be shown to be not impracticable. I can readily understand the desire of workers for shorter hours, and I can understand the impatience of those who have recently seen their claims rejected. However, those workers and unions which act for them must exercise a reasonable degree of patience. It is impossible to change everything overnight, and a general reduction of working hours to 40 a week would be manifestly unwise. The Government had to leave it to a competent tribunal to judge where the principle of the 40 hour week should apply, but just because a particular industry has been told that it must work longer hours that does not mean that it is to be denied the benefits of the shorter working week for all time. The Government has declared its goal and is determined to reach that goal as soon as possible.”

No Dictation to Court

The Prime Minister said there was no intention on the part of the Government to dictate to the Arbitration Court. To attempt to act in such a fashion with a judicial body would be absurd, especially r-. the Court was able to view particular cases in the light of the evidence. If there was any breakdown in the system of compulsory arbitration, or if the system as it existed at the present tended to prevent the realisation of the Government’s plans, then it would be necessary to consider its replacement. However, it could not be said that compulsory arbitration had failed to date, and organisations of workers would be well advised to show reasonable patience

“To put all our plans into force by a stroke of the pen might result in widespread disruption in industry,” Mr Savage added. “The people who would suffer most from that would be the workers themselves. We recognise that the essential factor in industrial changes must be the capacity of the industry generally to withstand those changes, but where adjustments cannot be made at once they can be made gradually, and the workers generally will be serving their own interests if they can retain their patience.”

TYPOGRAPHERS DISSATISFIED By Teieeraob Prese Assoc lari on INVERCARGILL, August 31. At a largely attended meeting of the Southland Typographical Union to-day, dissatisfaction was expressed with the decision of the Arbitration Court in refusing to extend the 40 hour week to the printing trade and the following resolution was ananimously carried: “That this meeting enters an emphatic protest against the decision of the Arbitration Court in refusing to grant a 40 hour week to printing trade workers, and holds that the granting of different hours to various trades cannot but result in industrial chaos.”