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the employees of certain, allied industries, had in the meantime formed themselves into a "' guild," which had been incorporated under the Incorporated Societies Act. The guild was strongly opposed to being brought under an award ; and practically the whole of the clerical staff of the companies cited were members of the guild, which in its corporate capacity had entered into an agreement with the various employers regulating the wages and conditions of service of its members. Probably less than 5 per cent, of the members of the guild were also members of the applicant union. In dismissing the application for an award the Court held (1) that there was no genuine dispute between the employees of the companies cited and their employers that either required or justified the interference of the Court; (2) that the union was not fairly representative of the employees sought to be brought under the provisions of an award, and that the union ought not, therefore, to be permitted to disturb the arrangement made by the employees in their corporate capacity with their employers, under which arrangement they were working in peace and harmony. Sugar-refinery Employees. In a memorandum to the Auckland Sugar-refinery's award the Court stated that, in view of the failure of the employees to return to work pending the making of an award, preference of employment would not be granted to the union. Industrial Disturbances. There were 102 industrial disturbances during the year, fifty-nine of which involved the cessation of work for one day or less, and may therefore be classed as unimportant. The following is a brief summary of the more serious of them : — Sawmill Employees, Cameron's Bush, Westland. —Bight men in the employ of the Westland Sawmilling Company, Greymouth, who were bound by an award under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, discontinued their employment to compel the company to accede to a demand for an increase of 2s. a day. The men refused the company's offer of an additional Is. a day, and left the mill. Proceedings were instituted by the Department under the Act, and each of the men was fined £3 and costs. Jockeys, Auckland. —At an Auckland race meeting on the Avondalo course the jockeys present refused to ride, as an expression of their dissatisfaction with conditions of employment and of their disapproval of the supposed disqualification of a certain well-known jockey. As a result of this action the employers engaged apprentices, and two of the horses were withdrawn from the races. Some of the jockeys formed an association, and a dispute under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act, 1913, was then filed by the association. The Racing Conference refused to recognize the association, and the dispute largely resolved itself into a question of recognizing the association. As the association consisted of workers within the meaning of the Act they were entitled to an investigation of their dispute, and a labour-dispute committee under the above-mentioned Act, consisting of representatives of the jockeys and owners, was set up. No settlement was reached within the prescribed period of fourteen days, and a ballot was accordingly taken, which, however, resulted in a large majority voting against the holding of a strike. The dispute then lapsed. Owing to the failure of the Racing Conference to recognize the Jockeys' Association it was reported that racing had been declared " black " by the transport workers' advisory board. Following on this declaration thirty tramwaymen at Auckland refused to take out special cars on a certain race-day. Proceedings were taken against the union, and a fine was imposed under the Labour Disputes Investigation Act. On a number of occasions waterside workers refused to load racehorses, and seamen and firemen refused to transport owners, jockeys, trainers, and racehorses. For refusing to work the ferry-steamer " Mokoia " while the president of the Racing Conference was aboard twenty-three members of the crew were proceeded against and fined £5 each under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. Waterside Workers, Wairoa. —Eight waterside workers at Wairoa were engaged to load a vessel, but discontinued work upon the employers refusing to employ the secretary of the union. The matter was not referred to the disputes committee provided for in the industrial agreement under which the work was being performed, but was settled by the payment of the secretary as if he were working the vessel. Proceedings were instituted against the eight men, who were each fined £2 and costs. Goal-miners, Blackball. —Several cases were filed in the Magistrate's Court against the union and individual members for breaches of the strike provisions of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act: (1) Against the union for adopting the go-slow policy (Note : The union wished to compel the company to dismiss two workers who had. refused to pay a levy imposed by the union for the purpose of assisting the Broken Hill strikers in New South Wales) ; (2) against the secretary of the union for inciting and instigating the above-mentioned strike ; (3) against twenty-seven truckers for taking part in unlawful strikes on several consecutive pay-days respecting various items in dispute. Waterside Workers, Wellington, Auckland, and the majority of the Ports throughout the Dominion. — Waterside workers in a majority of the ports throughout the Dominion refused to work overtime. It is understood that this refusal took place in order to force the employers to pay a cost-of-living bonus of 3d. an hour in addition to the wages prescribed by the industrial agreement. (Note : A refusal to accept engagement is not a " strike " within the meaning of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.) Railwaymen. —Arising out of dissatisfaction with the report of Stringer, J., Chairman of the Board set up by the Government to conduct an inquiry into wages and other conditions of employment of the various divisions of the Railway service of the Government, the members of the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen, and Cleaners' Association discontinued their employment. Several days later

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