PARLIAMENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 19 March 1932, Page 5

PARLIAMENT

arbitration law. A 30 hours’ battle on the committee stages of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Bill was brought to a close in the House of Representatives shortly after 10 o 'clock last evening. It is >&ny years since such acrimony has found expression on the iioor of the House as marked the concluding days on this Bill. Every step of the way was fought by the Labour Party, and it was only by countering these tactics with the use of the closure that the Prime Minister was able to make any headway at all. No mercy was shown by Mr Forbes in the end, and up to midnight last night he had kept the House sitting for 26 hours without a break even for meals. Hardly anyone had any sleep throughout the eventful all-night sitting on Thursday, for the Jjkision bells rang incessantly and the (Abating on each clause was of the liveliest. It was a very tired Chamber that listened to the final speeches on the third reading late last night, and it was a chirps commentary upon the futility of the Opposition’s fight that the Bill came from the Committe almost untouched. The Government withdrew the clause providing for the ex- — emption by Order-in-Council of any industry or persons from the provisions of awards, but apart from this and a minor deletion relating to the method of taking disputes to the Arbitration Court, the measure was untouched. bill finally passed. WELLINGTON, This Day. The long struggle in connection with the passage of the Industrial Concili..ticn and Arbitration Amendment Bill through the House of Representatives ended, just before 2 o’clock, this morniujiwhen the Bill was read a third time and passed. The House rose at 1.55 a an.. until 7.30 o’clock on Monday evening.— ( P - A ‘) '~t WOMEN WORKERS’ RIGHTS. The rights of women workers for full protection under the arbitration system were pressed by Labour members for several hours in ( tlie House of Representatives yesterday afternoon . and evening, following upon the addition of a new clause to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amend--mpnt Bill being moved by Mr J. McCombs (Lab., Lyttelton). The new clause proposed that in cases where the number of workers concerned m a dispute included 60 per cent, or more of 1 uvomen, reference to the Arbitration Court should automatically follow upon the failure of the parties to come to agf,agreement in conciliation

council. ' . Taking all the facts into consideration, the Government had come to the concession that it could not accept the advanced by Mr Me Coin os, said the Minister-in charge of the Bil , vrhen several Labour members had spoken urging the adoption of the clause. The Minister expressed the opinion that complications would arise if in a particular industry one class w as separated from another. The Government’s concern was to keep in employment as many people as possible, and it was from that angle that the Bill was viewed. Mr McCombs said the proposal he bad outlined had been unanimously agreed upon by both employers- and employees at the National Industrial Conference in 1928. It had been realised by the, conference that the women workers coin'd not avail themselves oi a strike and' were entitled to the protection of the court. The secretary o the Employers’ Federation had agreed that the women were entitled to the provision.

OUT AND ORGANISE.”

‘‘There is only one thing left to clj now —that is to get out and organise. It is a terribly difficult task, but "C Lave to get together and do it -rnm now on.” This declaration was made by Mr W. Nash (Lab., Hutt), in tile House last evening, in issuing an apyna. to the workers of New Zealand to organise and begin the immediate rebuilding of the structure of the Arbitration Court, which, he said, had been completely wrecked by the Bill nearing the end of its passage through the House. With a note of deep disappointment in his voice, Mr Nash said the Arbitration Court had done more than anything else to prevent industrial strife. 4 L Now that they have destroyed tie work carefully built up over the past 38 years,” he said, “I make this last appeal to the Government to abolish the penalties attached to the strike and the lock-out. Let everything go. Let us net back to stern and stark individualism Let Lnen and women stand on their own feet. Let them fight the employers. Let them get together and phow wh&t they can do. ’’ ■ “WeWvo a difficult task ahead; 1 hope we wilTjiot shirk it. I do not care for the $6 members on the Goiernment side of the House who have combined to pass this legislation, believe the principles upon which. Mve fought this fight are the principles 110 l which we have fought hi* are the principles upon which we vm fight from now on. We will tell tins storv throughout the Dominion and get Justice for the workers. It may mean hardship for us and for them, but we will win through.” As the years passed, Mr Aasli added, the work the Labour Party had done that week would bear fruit, but he reminded th> Prime Minister that man was greater than constitution.