17

H.—ll

(3.) It fixes a limit of fourteen days for the investigation of disputes (while in Canada no limit of time is fixed) : (4.) Provision is also made for a secret ballot of the workers after the investigation of the dispute affected before a strike- ma\ take place. This Act did not come into force until after the expiration of the year covered by this report —viz., on the Ist April, 1914—but until the date of writing no dispute coming under its provisions has arisen. The Industrial Concilia!inn ami Arbitration BUI. 191.', (No. .!). This measure was introduced to consolidate the existing Acts and its several amendments to date, and to effect certain other machinery amendments. Owing to pressure of time it was found necessary to introduce I'art VI. referred to in the preceding paragraph, as a separate measure and to postpone consideration of the remainder of the Pill. Reoistration of Industrial Unions and Associations. The work in connection with the registration of industrial unions, Ac. was particularly heavy during the year, ninety new unions of workers and employers being registered, as against forty-six during the previous year. Tin- membership of the unions so registered totalled 3,082, The increase was entirely in the number of workers' unions, as out of this number there were only fourteen employers' unions registered, with 189 members, as against twenty-one such unions during the previous year. The following table gives particulars as to the registration of associations and unions:—

Only one workers' union and one association of workers' unions voluntary cancelled registration. Eight workers' unions and nine employers' unions and two associations of workers' unions were cancelled as being defunct. Twenty complete and thirty-four partial amendments of rules were registered during the year. The usual annual return (to 31st December, 1913) of the unions registered under the Act, with their membership at that date, is published separately in Parliamentary Paper H.-11a, as required by the Act. For convenience of reference this parliamentary paper will be bound with this report as " Appendix A." The following table shows the number of unions and members thereof (both employers and workers) from the 31st December. 1905, to the -'Slst December, 1913, inclusive: —

It will be seen from the above table that there have been large increases in the membership and number of both employers' and workers' unions during the year. Unions of employers show an increase of eleven, with a membership increase of 290, while,the number of workers' unions is increased by fifty, and the total membership of same is increased by 10,922. With regard to the latter figures it must be remembered, however, that during the strike of 1913 many new unions were registered, and some hundreds of men who belonged to the original unions, and whose names appeared on the certified lists of same, subsequently joined the now unions,

3-H. 11.

. -„:_.■ Associations Unions of Associates Unions ()f ()| Workers. jZ°™ Employers. Empjoyers , I'nions. Total number registered .. . . .. Number registered before the waterside workers' strike Number registered during the waterside workers' strike Number registered after the waterside workers' strike ■ i 76 4 14 1 31 2 10 1 19 1 2 26 1 2

•ecember, 1905 .. 1906 .. 1907 .. 1908 .. 1909 .. 1910 .. 1911 .. 1912.. 1913.. • •f Unions of Employers. Unions of Workers. Number of Number of Number of Number of Unions. Members. Unions. Members. 113 3,276 261 29,869 109 3,337 274 34,978 121 3,630 310 45,614 122 3,918 325 49,347 120 3,702 308 54,519 118 4,262 308 57,091 118 4,251 307 55,629 123 • 4,410 322 60,622 134 4,700 372 71,544 113 109 121 122 120 118 118 123 134