CLERICAL WORKERS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 210, 5 August 1937, Page 11

CLERICAL WORKERS

EFFECT OF JUDGMENT. CABINET’S INTENTIONS. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 4. The acting-Alinister of Labour says: “The attention of the Government has been drawn to the recent decision of the Court of Appeal with regard to the meaning of the word ‘industry’ as defined by the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, 1925. Under the Court’s decision this is held to mean the industry in which both the employer and his workers are engaged. For over 30 years the Court of Arbitration has adopted the view that ‘industry' may refer either to the business in which tfio employer and his workers are engaged or to the occupation of the workers irrespective of the nature of their employers’ business. It will be seen, therefore, that the decision of the Court of Appeal will have very farreaclling effects, and the Government has therefore bad to consider what legislative action, if any, it proposes to take to meet the position “A similar . question arose in the Commonwealth of Australia in 1911, the same interpretation being placed on the word ’industry’ in the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act as has been done by the Court of Appeal here. As a result, the Commonwealth legislature passed an amendment to the Act to make it clear that the term ‘industry’ could refer also to the occupations of the workers irrespective of the class of business carried on by the employers, and this legislation was made applicable to all organisations affected by the decision as if the amended definition of ‘industry had been in force at the date of the registration of such organisations. “Apart altogether from the question which is the more durable form of organisation, it is clear that a considerable amount of confusion will result from the decision of the Court of Appeal, not only so far as clerical unions are concerned but also amongst long-established unions in other callings, and the Government feels that the proper course to adopt is to. introduce legislation along the same lines as was done in the Commonwealth of Australia.”