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lost the previous year. There were 47 disturbances in the mining industry, 20 in the freezing industry, and 10 in the shipping and waterfront industry. Of the disturbances during the year, 28 involved absences exceeding one day. The following were the principal disturbances : — There was a 2-day stoppage in the meat-freezing industry involving 65 workers. This arose at Belfast shortly after the commencement of the killing season, when, owing to weather conditions, the stock was not coming forward in the volume anticipated. Workers had been engaged in anticipation of full-scale operations, with the result that the chains were working short time. Work was resumed upon the reduction of one chain to 30 men, the other remaining at 35. A further stoppage lasting 4 days and involving 33 men occurred at Kaiapoi. The workers demanded the employment of a worker whom the employer refused to engage. An offer to submit the dispute to a tribunal was accepted, but as the workers failed to resume work Court action was taken against 32 of them, penalties of £5 each being imposed. The other strikes in this industry were of short duration : The stoppages in the mining industry were mainly of short duration. One, however, involved 150 coal-miners for 7 days, 178 workers at another mine ceasing work for 1 day in sympathy, and 400 workers at a third mine also ceasing work in sympathy for 1 day. This dispute arose out of a demand that mobilization orders be withdrawn in the case of a member of the Armed Forces who had worked in the mine during his furlough. The demand followed an Appeal Board decision declining to release the worker from the Armed Forces : In the shipping and waterfront industry a vessel was idle in Auckland for a week because the workers refused to go on board, alleging that the gangway was unsafe. The cause of the dispute was removed when it was necessary to move the vessel to another berth so as to accommodate a deep-draught vessel: A dispute extending over 6 working-days and involving 413 workers arose in the shipbuilding industry at Auckland. To increase production in this industry carpenters and joiners had been directed under the Industrial Man-power Emergency Regulations to employment in it. They had previously been employed under the Essential Building Works Labour Legislation Modification Order 1943, which provides for payment of travelling-time and fares if the job is suburban work and is more than one and a half miles from the determined central point. It was therefore proposed to apply the same rule to the shipbuilding industry, but delay occurred in implementing the intention as it appeared that the proposal infringed the Economic Stabilization Emergency Regulations 1942. In the meantime the stoppage occurred : Gasworks' employees in Auckland ceased work on 20th December, 1943, in furtherance of a demand for increased remuneration. This demand had received the attention of an Emergency Disputes Committee established pursuant to the Strike and Lockout Emergency Regulations 1939, the decision of the Committee not being acceptable to the workers. Work was resumed on 23rd December, and subsequently, as a result of discussions between officers of the workers' organization, representatives of the employer, and officers of the Government, it was arranged that for a period of six months the Government would supervise the works. The Mines Department has responsibility for the supervision, and throughout use is being made of a Production Council representative of employer and employees. Two hundred and sixty-three workers were involved in this stoppage. Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Amendment Act, 1943 Three variations of the law were effected as a result of this measure : —■ (a) The provisions of section 110 of the principal Act (relating to the dismissal of a worker because he is an officer or member of an industrial union or has acted as an assessor on a Council of Conciliation, &c.) arc recast. Previously Court proceedings under the section were largely nullified by the fact that an employer in defending an action had only to assert other reasons for dismissal to counter the Department's case. As revised, the section places on an employer the burden of proof of his assertions as to reasons for dismissal. The responsibility of the Department to establish its case to the satisfaction of the Court is unaltered : (b) A worker who is employed under an award or industrial agreement and who refuses to join the appropriate union of workers when requested to do so by his employer or by any officer or representative of the union is now liable to a penalty under the law. Previously only the employer was liable where a non-unionist was employed : (c) An additional form of procedure for recovery of wages due to a worker is introduced. The workers' union may now act on behalf of the worker in recovery proceedings, and claim for recovery may be joined in the same action as a claim for a penalty for a breach of the award or industrial agreements. The Inspector of Awards may commence recovery procedure in the Court of Arbitration. LABOUR DISPUTES INVESTIGATION ACT, 1913 During the year 5 agreements were filed pursuant to section 8 ; 10 agreements were in force on 31st March, 1943. APPRENTICES ACT At the present time there are 131 Apprenticeship Committees each representative of employers and workers. Pursuant to requests by Committees, officers of the Department have made 123 special investigations during the year, while, in addition, 136 complaints were investigated. As a result and following the inspections of factories, &c., referred to elsewhere in this report, 3 prosecutions were commenced and 166 warnings were issued. Convictions were secured in all cases, fines amounting to £5 being imposed. Two of the prosecutions were against employers and 1 against a worker.

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