ARBITRATION COURT CRITICISED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17245, 11 January 1924, Page 11

ARBITRATION COURT CRITICISED.

Per Puns* Association. WELLINGTON, January 10. Strong comment on alleged unfairness of the Arbitration Court was passed at the opening of the conference of the Alliance of Labour and unallied trades to-day, when the following resolution was carried :—‘ ‘That this conference, representing 61,C00 organised workers, enters a most emphatic protest against the refusal of the Court of Arbitration to afford representatives of the workers an opportunity of stating a case in favour of an increase in wages before it made its recent determination that there should be no alteration in the basic wage, such refusal being in direct opposition to the letter and spirit of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act 1921-22, which specifically provides that an opportunity of being heard shall be afforded to representatives of employers and workers before a determination is made by the Court. For the reason that the Court of Arbitration refused the workers an opportunity of stating their case in favour of an increase in wages, whereas it afforded the employers every opportunity of prosecuting their case in favour of a reduction in wages this conference impeaches the impartiality of the Court as at -oresent constituted and declares that the Court has forfeited all claim to the confidence of the workers.”