ARBITRATION ACT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16559, 19 October 1921, Page 4

ARBITRATION ACT.

SMOOTHING OUT DIFFICULTIES. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, October 18. A consolidation of the Factories Act and a small amendment of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act were introduced in the House to-day, the latter being read a second time pro forma, to enable it to lie considered forthwith by the Labour Bills Committee, as the Minister of Labour explained he wished to expedite it. “ The Bill endeavours,” he said, “ to smooth out difficulties which have arisen through the resignation of the workers’ representative on the Arbitration Court, his re-election and the statement ho had made that lie does not intend to sit.” The Bill proposes to add to the ordinary provisions for election of employers’ or workers’ representatives on the Arbitration Court a clause under which the Governor-General may request industrial unions to recommend persons to act as nominated members of the Court or acting nominated members, whenever ne may think fit, notwithstanding that no vacancy exists, but no appointment shall be made unless a casual vacancy has occurred or the term of office of the elected member has expired. If there is a- vacancy in the position of nominated member of the Court, or lie is not present at a sitting, the judge may summon the actingnominated member, appointed on the recommendation of industrial unions of workers or employers, as the case may he. and if there is further difficulty in filling the position the Governor-Gen-eral may appoint, on the recommendation of the judge, such other person to be a temporary nominated member, as in iiis opinion will effectively represent workers or employers. Payment of an acting-member will be at the rate provided for a nominated member. The former provision relating to the acting member of the Court is to be deleted, and the original provision for the removal of an elected member, if absent from four consecutive sittings of the Court, is amended by the addition of the qualffication “ without the consent of the judge.”