H—ll

Workers' associations number 34, 2 less than last year, with a total membership of 177, compared with 178 last year. f^j Workers' unions number 384, compared with 395 last year, with a total membership of 229,103, as against 223,027 last year. Industrial Disturbances during the Year There were 135 industrial stoppages during the year, involving lost time equivalent to 56,460 working-days (last year, 147 stoppages ; time lost, 44,565 working-days). There were 60 disturbances in the mining industry, 28 in the freezing industry, and 14 in the shipping and waterfront industry. Of the total disturbances during the year, 37 involved absences exceeding 1 day. Of these, 21 were of less than 3 days' duration. Of the 60 disturbances in the coal-mining industry, 43 lasted only 1 day or less, 22 of these being in respect of those days upon which a stop-work meeting had been held in the morning. Ten other disputes were for 2 days. Of the remaining stoppages, the principal were : 103 men stopped for 5 days because of a dispute between a busproprietor and the workers, the latter alleging that a certain driver was incompetent; 300 men stopped for 3 days because of a dispute regarding the rate of payment for Labour Day ; 200 men stopped for 3 days as a protest against delay in installing electrical equipment; 210 men stopped for 4 days because of a dispute over tonnage rates ; and 270 men in another mine ceased work for two days in sympathy. Only 4 of the 28 disturbances in the freezing industry exceeded 1 day in duration, and of these only 2 exceeded l|r days. Sixty men stopped for 2 days and 283 for 1 day because of a shortage of chain slaughtermen. A stoppage of work affecting 121 men for 3| days occurred in freezing-works in the Auckland and Gisborne districts as a result of a demand by the engineers in the freezing-works for certain conditions prescribed by the Freezing-workers' award and for a sufficient increase in wages to maintain the margin previously existing between the tradesmen and the freezing-works labourers. In the waterfront and shipping industry 6 of the 14 stoppages were for longer than 1 day, 2of these being for 2 days and 1 for 3 days. Because of the refusal of winchmen to transfer to other work when a gear gang was converted to a crane gang, 116 men stopped for 4 days. A stoppage of 3 J days affecting 230 men took place at Port Chalmers, the dock and repair workers desiring to be brought under the scope of the Waterfront Control Commission Emergency Regulations 1940. Following the dismissal of a worker, a " go-slow " policy was instituted in Auckland on the 10th October, 1945. For 11 days 150 men were affected and for 6 days 1,260 men were involved. A stoppage of work involving 41 women for 4 days occurred in the woollen-milling industry in Canterbury during May, 1945. Prior to the 7th July, 1941, a deduction of 15 per cent, had been made from the earnings of weavers operating two looms (clause 7 of the award), but from that date up to December," 1944, no deduction was made by the employers, as shift-work had been introduced to increase production. In December, 1944, shift-work in the weaving department ceased and the 15-per-cent. deduction was resumed by the employers. The dispute was referred to a disputes committee set up under the Strike and Lockout Emergency Regulations 1939. The decision of the chairman of the committee was that piecework payment to the workers should continue at the rate which commenced to operate on 7th July, 1941. Proceedings were instituted by the employer to test the validity of the decision, and the Supreme Court held, in terms of a memorandum of settlement between the plaintiff company and the union, that the company was entitled to withhold the 15 per cent. Employees in the building industry in Auckland adopted a " go-slow " policy from 21st September to 2nd October, 1945. When the Defence Works Labour Legislation Suspension Order 1942 (superseded by the Essential Building Works Labour Legislation Modification Order 1943) was in operation, the employers conceded an afternoon-tea " break" because of the long hours worked by employees.

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