TIME FOR UNITED RESISTANCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20011, 14 February 1914, Page 5

TIME FOR UNITED RESISTANCE

MANIFESTO BY AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYERS' FEDERATION.

ALLEGED FAILURE OF INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION.

(United Pfess Association —Copyright.; j ; Received 8.5 p.m." Feb. 14. LONDON, February 13. A... meeting of the executive of the Employers' Federation discussed the industrial position and decided that the time had come for imited resistance to the continual uplifting of wages and shortening of hours. The Federation has issued an important official declaration. Aft|er reviewing (recent strikes and the flouting of awards, it says: — The failure- of industrial legislation as a preventative of strikes was never more clearly demonstrated than at present. The unions are endeavouring by means of sectional -demands to secure wages and working conditions which, if granted to all grades oFworkers, would crippfe industrial and commercial progress and' greatly increase the cost of living. The principle, or want of principle, whereon an industrial award is based en- ' courages unions to come forward individually to secure continual increases , of wages and lessening of. hou^s. ~The industrial courts and wages'boaj-ds apparently fail to consider ,t&e efl^ebfe \of awards on industrial c^iditions, as. a whole. . Every concession secured loy one union was used as a lever ;t<> secure 4d-! vantages by other- groups, which prob-r' ably would otherwise have no dhance of substantiating their claims. An increase of pay in one section of industry was not a serious handicap to industry; but when multiplied many times it was obvious we were travelling in a vicious circle. The Federation had reached the . conclusion that the time had asrrived to show united resistance in the interests of tSe general public, who, after nil, have to bear the burden.