WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1975
'COOLING-OFF CLAUSE TO STAY IN NEW LABOUR BILL
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THE CONTROVERSIAL +COOLING-OFF+ PERIOD IS TO STAY IN THE LABOUR RELATIONS BILL. BUT IT WILL ONLY BE BROUGHT INTO EFFECT BY A FUTURE DECISION OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IF THERE IS A CLEAR AND PUBLICLY-RECOGNISED NEED FOR IT.
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IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY, THE ACTING COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, THE HON, NEIL HENDERSON, MOVED THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL, WHICH WAS PUBLISHED ON MARCH 21 AND INTRODUCED INTO THE COUNCIL ON MAY 7.
MR. HENDERSON TOLD THE COUNCIL THE BILL HAD CAUSED CONSIDERABLE COMMENT – +SOME OF IT REASONABLY WELL-INFORMED, SOME RATHER LESS SO.+
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PARTICULARLY, IT HAD NOT BEEN GENERALLY APPRECIATED JUST HOW RARELY THE COOLING-OFF POWERS WERE LIKELY TO BE USED= THAT THE ARBITRATION AND BOARD OF INQUIRY PROCEDURES IN THE BILL COULD AND WOULD - OFTEN BE ACTIVATED WITHOUT THE COOLING-OFF PERIOD AND THAT, IN MANY CASES, ANY STRIKE OR LOCK-OUT IN PROGRESS WOULD PROBABLY BE VOLUNTARILY WITHDRAWN DURING ARBITRATION OR BOARD OF INQUIRY HEARINGS.
MR. HENDERSON SAID : +IN LOOKING BACK OVER RECENT YEARS, I CANNOT SAY THAT THERE HAS BEEN ANY MAJOR DISPUTE THAT HAD REACHED A STAGE WHERE I WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED IT NECESSARY TO RECOMMEND TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THAT A COOLING-OFF PERIOD BE IMPOSED.
+DESPITE THE RARITY OF THE EVENT, MR. HENDERSON SAID, +THERE IS THIS NEED TO HAVE IN READINESS SOME FORM OF INTERVENTION
NTIO FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE PUBLIC, BETWEEN THE NORMAL LABOUR RELATIONS PROCEDURES, AND THE IMPOSITION OF EMERGENCY REGULATIONS AN ACTION WHICH IS TOO DRASTIC TO CONTEMPLATE FOR ANY GENUINE LABOUR DISPUTE, HOWEVER MAJOR.
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+THEREFORE IT HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT WHILE PART V OF THE ORDINANCE SHOULD BE LEGISLATED, IT WILL NOT BE BROUGHT INTO EFFECT UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THERE IS A CLEAR AND PUBLICLY- RECOGNISED NEED.*
MR. HENDERSON SAID ONE OTHER MAJOR OBJECTION TO THE BILL HAD BEEN THAT IT DEPRIVED WORKERS OF THE RIGHT TO STRIKE. HE SAID IT WAS TRUE THERE COULD DE A TEMPORARY INFRINGEMENT ON THIS RIGHT, BUT ONLY IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, AND AS AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE ILLEGAL STRIKES AND LOCK-OUTS ORDINANCE.
THAT ORDINANCE MADE IT A CRIME TO STRIKE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, WHICH WAS ABHORRENT AND RIGHTLY SO - TO ALL RESPONSIBLE UNIONISTS, SAID MR. HENDERSON.
THE LABOUR RELATIONS
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