ARBITRATION ACT.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18157, 23 October 1930, Page 8

ARBITRATION ACT.

COMPULSORY CLAUSES. PLEA FOR THEIR ABOLITION. AT CONFERENCE OF CHAMBERS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) THE HERMITAGE, Thursday. At the conference of Associated Chambers of Commerce to-day Mr C. Cameron (Dunedin) moved: . “That in the interests of the community the compulsory clauses o 4 f the Arbitration Act should be ■abolished.” In moving the remit, Mr Cameron said the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce was of opinion that the compulsory clauses in the Act, as in operation, were severely hampering industry, retarding production, increasing unemployment, ■ arid creating an illfeeling between employer and employee which should not exist. The manufacturers feel that the present system of compulsory arbitration was inequitable, and was increasing the cost of production. Farmers felt, with good reason, that it was largely responsible for , the high costs of all their requirements. It was claimed for compulsory arbitration that it abolished strikes, but what had been the result? From the inception of the system up to 1915 the total number of strikes in New Zealand was 148, 53 being in contravention of the Act and 95 outside it; from 1906 to 1025 the total number of stoppages was 695, which was rather too many for .a country without strikes. The main objections to the system were that -it was too inelastic. There was no element of give and take. A dispute or an application for a new award became -a fight between the employee and the labour union secretary. If the Conciliation Court did not appeal to labour, tile speaker suggested another alternative in the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, which was-now. on the Statute Book, and ’which was operating successfully in Canada. The speaker stated that main objections to the present system were: (a) Hampering industry; (b) retarding production; (c) increasing unemployment; (d) that it is too inelastic, and did not take account of the allimportant factor —what will the industry stand? Mr W. Machin (Christchurch) seconded the motion and said he was entirely in accord with the reasons advanced by the Dunedin Chamber. ■'Mr A.' Seed (Wellingtpn) said he was in accord.with the remit, but’it did not go far enough. He suggested that the Act should he amended to make compulsory the reference of disputes to the Conciliation Councils. Mr Cameron (Dunedin): We are quite agreeable to an amendment in the form suggested. The remit was then amended to read: “That it is in the interests of the community that the compulsory clauses of the Arbitration Act be abolished, and that an amendment be rpade to the Act to effect the reference of disputes compulsorily to Conciliation Courts.”

The remit was adopted in amended form.