5

H.—ii

Industrial conciliation and arbitration act. Work done under the Act during the Year 1929-30. Industrial agreements filed .. .. .. .. .. . . 20 Recommendations of Councils of Conciliation .. .; .. 66 Awards of the Court of Arbitration .. n .. 55 The awards and industrial agreements actually in force on the! 31st March, 1930, tdtal 468 (last year, 471). Work performed by Commissioners And Councils of Conciliation Industrial agreements arrived at and filed as such under section 28 by parties through the Commissioner alone .. . . . . .. 8 Disputes dealt with by Conciliation Councils — Where industrial agreements were filed under section 28 .. 2 Where recommendations were fully accepted and forwarded to the Court to be made into awards .. .. .. .. 37 Where recommendations were substantially accepted or agreements reached and referred to the Court to make awards . . . . 29 Where only minor recommendation or no recommendation was made . . 9 Total .. .. .. .. 85 The above figures indicate that 89-4 per cent, of the disputes dealt with by the Commissioners and Conciliation Councils were settled or substantially settled by them, though it should be noted that in some cases the settlements reached merely followed upon recently made awards of the Court or settlements through Commissioners or Councils in the same or similar industries elsewhere. Registration of Industrial Associations and Unions. The usual statutory return (to the 31st December, 1929) of the associations and unions registered under the Act, with their membership at that date, is published herewith as an appendix. Comparison with the previous year shows that the total number of workers' unions has increased by four (to 415) and the total membership has decreased by 1,334 (from 103,980 to 102,646). In the Northern and Otago and Southland Industrial Districts, although the number of unions remained the same, the membership decreased by 1,597, the most notable decreases being in the carpenters and joiners, electrical trades, shearers, and coal-mine workers' unions in the Northern Industrial District, and in the labourers' and timber-yards and sawmills' unions in the Otago and Southland Industrial District. The large unions of workers that have elected to remain outside the Act were at the end of the year nine coal-miners' unions, comprising 2,302 members at the time of deregistration (while eleven other coal-miners' unions are still registered—with 1,795 members) and two marine engineers' unions (comprising 634- members). One large union of municipal tramway and omnibus employees was still outside the Act at the 31st December, 1929, but registration under the Act was completed in January, 1930. Inspections, etc. During the year 3,629 complaints of alleged breaches of the Act and of awards and industrial agreements, &c., were received, but it was found on investigation that in 1,171 cases no breach had been committed ; in 381 cases proceedings were taken, and in 1,700 warnings were given. No action was considered necessary in the remaining cases. Apart from the complaints mentioned above, a large proportion of the general inspections of factories, shops, &c., totalling 38,010, included an inspection to ascertain whether the awards and agreements were being complied with in respect of wages, overtime, &c., and as a-result of these inspections 102 prosecutions were taken and warnings were given in other cases. Of the 483 prosecutions which were for breaches other than stoppages of work 374 were against employers and 109 against workers ; 394 convictions were recorded, 306 against employers and 88 against workers. Of the prosecutions against workers 30 were against the employees of one firm for failing to claim overtime and 19 against employees of another firm for failure to claim fares and travelling-time. The remainder were principally for accepting less than award rates of wages. Proceedings under the strike provisions of the Act were also taken for a strike against six workers in the freezing industry and convictions were obtained. Proceedings were instituted under the award against fifty-nine workers in the freezing industry in connection with a stoppage of work, but were subsequently withdrawn. Total penalties, £592 19s. Union Accounts. There has again been no occasion during the year to call for an audit of the accounts of any union. A few instances have again been brought under notice of unions, however, of union funds being used for purposes not authorized by the Act. Legal Decisions of Interest. Device to defeat Award. —Two taxi-proprietors entered into agreements with certain drivers for the hire of taxis, the drivers, inter alia, to pay a rent of two-thirds of the gross weekly takings and to be responsible for bad debts, ordinary running expenses and repairs, all expenses, damages, and costs incurred through their negligent driving, and to pfiy a deposit of £1 10s. for a telephone-key and the