“WASTE OF TIME"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 145, 20 June 1936, Page 10

“WASTE OF TIME"

GUILDS TO EVADE NEW LEGISLATION , ' STATEMENT BY MINISTER [ Ter Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, June 19. “Those firms and workers who are forming guilds with a view to evading • the new industrial legislation, are , merely wasting their time and energy,’’ »aid the Minister of Labour, Hon. H. | T. Armstrong, tn an interview to-night. , “Unless 1 am misinterpreting the law, they will find themselves subject to industrial awards. “1 have received many coinmunica- . lions from all parts of New Zealand about the practice of certain firms and some of their employees, with the ad vice of solicitors, forming guilds in order to evade the amended industrial . legislation,” said the Minister. “They form guilds and then meet and make ( an agreement which is registered under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act. , It appears on the surface that such , agreements are binding and will be exempt from the terms of industrial awards made under the amended Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration “These people think that they can get outside the amended legislation,’’ continued Mr. Armstrong, “but as tar as interpretation is concerned, 1 think that they cannot get outside the new legislation at all. Igo further and say that they are wasting their time. 1 have discussed the matter with my colleagues in the Cabinet and 1 have | legislation ready to deal with the situa- j tion, so that such agreements made under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act. 1913, will be declared null and void.”