The Industrial World

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 492, 29 June 1932, Page 4

The Industrial World

CONDUCTED BY OBSERVER

l ’ Trade Union News and l Views. S This column is devoted to the ci news of the industrial Labour movement as represented by the I secretaries of the various unions whose headquarters are at the e Trades Hall. u MEETINGS OF UNIONS FOR THE COMING WEEK. Furniture Trades Union—To-nighl l (Wednesday). * Trades and Labour Council—Saturday j July 2. : Tramways Union (pre-annual)—Tues 3 day, July 5. s . Dressmakers’ Union—Wednesday, July ; 6. t RECENT LEGISLATION. r * The position of the trade unions and j workers as a result of recent legislation ? is shown by' the following statement . w'hich was presented to the annual l meeting of the General Labourers' ' Union held last evening:— - When one examines the various Acts 5 and Amendments that have been ' placed on the Statute Book during the past twelve months one is forced to i the conclusion that a determined ’ attempt is being made to reduce the standard of living of the workers, and * provision is made for every contin--1 j gency:— The Amendment to the I.C. and A. Act. The Amendment to the Unemployment Act. The Finance Act, No. 4. The Public Safety Conservation Act. Let us briefly examine these Acts and their effects on Labour. The Amendment to the I.C. and A. Act. —Drastic amendments have been made to this Act, which places it in the hands of the employers either to grant or take away from the worker all of the benefits or protection of that Act. This has special significance when one bears in mind the ever-increasing numbers of the unemployed during the past six or seven years. Clauses have been inserted in that Act making provision whereby steps can be taken by the employers which will result in the cancellation of existing awards; also, in cases of fresh disputes, whether commenced at the instigation of the worker or of the employer, clauses are there which, in case no agreement is arrived at, instruct the Conciliation Commissioner to notify the Clerk of Awards in the district of the position and, one month from the date, the then existing award ceases to operate. This means that employers are free to take full advantage of the unemployed and fix their own conditions and rate of wages in the industry concerned. Another drastic alteration in proceedings before the Council or Court is one which makes provision whereby employers who are not connected with the industry may claim to be present and be heard, and the Council or Court must take into consideration any evidence they may place before them. For instance, the Farmers’ or Sheepowners’ Unions may give evidence in any Conciliation or Arbitration Court case they may think desirable. The Act also makes provision affecting certain awards, providing that where a worker, to obtain or retain his employment, has agreed to accept a lower rate than that stipulated in the award, he has no legal remedy for the recovery of wages, nor can any fine or penalty be inflicted on the employer for breach of award.

Unemployment Act and Amendments. —The original Act made provision whereby every male over the age of 20 years was levied to the amount of 7s 6d quarterly, and in addition clauses were provided whereby half of the money expended on unemployment should be paid out of the Consolidated Fund by way of subsidy. It further made provision whereby sustenance could be paid after a worker had been unemployed for fourteen days. The rates of sustenance were fixed at 21s a worker—l7s fid for his wife and 4s for each child. The sustenance outlined in this Act has never been paid out, although a rationing scheme has just been inaugurated. How it will be administered remains to be seen. Drastic amendments were put through the House making provision for an emergency unemployment levy at the rate of 3d in the £. This was afterwards amended, and now all wages and incomes are levied Is in the £. This, in addition to the quarterly levy, is the sole source of revenue to meet the problem of unemployment, and there is now no subsidy from the Consolidated Fund.

Finance Act No. 4. —Although this Act, from its title, would not appear to have any particular sting in it affecting the worker, and whilst it makes provision for refunding totalisator duty up to £SOO in any one year to any one racing club, and makes a refund of 2s fid in the £ on all rates paid by county council ratepayers, it also amends the Unemployment Act by making provision whereby all public bodies may do any and all work, whether in the way of ordinary work or not, by unemployed labour. It goes further, and makes provision whereby relief labour may be employed performing •work for the benefit of privately-owned property or any other property, and states that drainage, irrigation, reclamation, or

other work of a reproductive nature can be performed for the benefit of privately owned property. Public Safety Conservation Act.— This Act makes provision whereby the Governor-General may, if he thinks it necessary, issue a proclamation of emergency. This is so drafted that it will cover strikes in any industry or calling. He can make whatever regulations he thinks necessary for the conservation of public safety. It goes further and, if the occurrence is sudden, it places all these powers in the hands of the senior officer in the police force in the locality. This power remains in his hands until a proclamation of emergency is issued, and further, it stipulates that no claim can be upheld or allowed for personal injury inflicted by those acting under his authority, but it does make provision for compensation for any property that may be taken by those so acting. Conclusions. —lf these Acts and amendments and their far-reaching powers are summed up, one is forced to the conclusion that every provision has been made for an organised, s} rstematic attack on the conditions and standard of living of the worker. The reliance that Labour has placed on the I.C. and A. Act in the past, when ten or twelve enthusiastic members of a union could obtain all the benefits obtainable under that Act, will no longer suffice. From now on, a trade union, to have any effect, must have the major portion of its members taking an active interest in their union and also on the job. The form of organisation that suited that system will no longer function satisfactorily, and the job that faces the worker to-day, is to so change his outlook on unionism, his form of organisation, that it will better fit him to meet the attack which is surely coming from the employers’ associations, from the legislators and from the financial institutions.

There is every probability that the attitude taken by the iron masters recently when the engineers met them to discuss conditions and rates of wages for a new award when these employers refused to come to any agreement or send the case to Court, will be followed by other groups of employers and result in no agreement or award being arrived at. The secretary of the National Employers’ Association, Mr Bishop, took the case for the employers and one can assume that it was an indication of the course that will be taken by other employers. This will place the workers back where they were when the I.C. and A. Act was introduced in 1894 and, for a time, they will be at the mercy of the unscrupulous employer who will set the pace. It therefore behoves the worker at once, and from now on, to take an active interest in his union.

Tramway Union Affairs. The main interest in trade union circles at present is the reported formation of a new union in the tramway workshops. This breakaway is, no doubt, a direct result of the recent tramway strike. It is difficult to account for the attitude of the men responsible for this, unless it is the fear that their membership of unions domiciled in the Trades Hall would be looked upon as an unfriendly act by the Tramway Board. This fear has developed, no doubt, by the encouragement given by the board to the formation of the new guild by some of the men employed on the trams. The attitude of the board can be easily explained. Ever since this board was elected it has been opposed to the Tramway Union. In the first place the board would not allow the trade union secretary to represent the men in conference with the board. The men, de-

siring good relationship to continue between the union and the board, agreed. As a result the chairman of the union proved to be a very capable leader and negotiator, and consequently was quite a match for the board members. The next move by the board was directed, not at the trades union secretary, but at its chairman and leader. That attack resulted in the recent strike. In order to weaken the union still further, encouragement is given by the board to tack resulted in the victimisation of workers. The principle which the board is working upon is “ Divide and Conquer.” Engineers’ Position. The unfortunate part of these recent developments is that members of the Engineering Union should be parties to the board’s policy. The Engineering Union is a descendant of the Amalgamated Union,, which "was formed in England in 1851, and which became the model form of trade union organisation for over twenty years. This union linked up into one union many other craft unions, and this made it a very strong force. It built up strike funds, unemployment funds, sick benefit funds, and consequently its resisting powers were considerably increased. It is regrettable that men associated with a union of such traditions and powers should be so . easily influenced to form another union. This depression should result in stiffening the resistance of workers to such a policy, instead of developing an attitude of weakness and division which plays into the hands of the enemies of the workers. The Miners’ Stand. In contrast to the tramway workers, it is a pleasure to observe how the miners of New Zealand have stood together, faced a strike with its suffering,

and have now won their case for conferences to decide wages and conditions throughout the mining industry in New Zealand. This result is a proof that a strong union is far more beneficial to the workers than small unions. In a recent book on “ Wages,” written by M. Dobb, M.A., lecturer in Economics, Cambridge University, it states: “ Where the workers are particularly weak in bargaining strength, employers will be usually more quick to reduce w r ages when prices fall than they are to raise them when prices rise; and what the workers stand to lose on the swings they will not gain on the roundabouts. But where the workers are strongly organised, they may resist a fall in money wages for some time after prices have fallen, while being quick to demand an increase when prices are on the rise." In another part of the book it states: “For the system as a whole it will generally be the case that this surplus of net revenue (profit) will be greater under a given set of circum-

stances, the more dependent, and consequently the more obedient and disciplined is the wage-earning class.” No one can doubt that the policy of the Tramway Board is to weaken the trade unions, by division and by making its workers more dependent, more obedient and disciplined. How long will it take the workers to realise that unity is strength? How long will it take them to understand the machinations of the present Tramway Board? How long will it take the workers to learn of the well-organised position of employers’ associations and their unified attack on the standard of living of the workers? This attack can be met by combined action, by fighting in the front trench in the same manner as the workers did in 1914 to 1918, when they met a foreien enemy whom they did not know. Now, when the enemy belongs to the satne country, and is known, the workers should fight more solidly than ever, and not retreat at the first attack.