CO129-603-4 Industrial relations- necessity for introducing arbitration procedures 16-10-1946 - 20-12-1946 — Page 36

rendered

sympathetic strikes, the Act increased the restrictions on picketing, unions liable for damagos for illegal strikes, restricted the freedom of association of Civil Servants, and made certain changes with regard to contributions from members to political funds under which it became unlawful to require a member to contribute to political funds in the absence of a written notification of his willingness to contribute to such funds.

(b) Employers' Organisations.

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Although employers' organisations, in the form of Liveried Companies, have been in existence in this country since the middle ages, they are of comparatively recent growth in so far as present day industrial relations are concerned. Following the repeal of the Combination Act in 1825, local organisations were formed in a number of the major industries, and during the course of the nineteenth

century gradually developed through various processes of analgamation and combination. Although mainly evolved on an industrial basis this development has resulted in wide differences in the present day structure of the various organisations, Some, by the nature of the industry, are relatively homogenous ; others bring together, to greater or lesser degrees, the various branches of the In other cases, the various particular industry with which they are concerned. branches are organised independently. In many of the chief industries, employers' associations consist of district or regional associations combined into national federations.

There are also wide differences in the objects of the various organisations; some have only commercial or technical objects (including in some cases the regulation of prices); some combine such objects with activities relating to the <mployment of labour, while others exist primarily for labour matters.

In some

The degree of authority exercised by associations over individual members, or by federations over affiliated associations, especially in the matter of wages and conditions of employment of their operatives, varies considerably. cases action is taken by the Association to ensure that its constituent firms

An Association is frequently unable honour agreements reached with trade unions. or unwilling to take such action, but it is usually considered that there is a

As moral obligation on the part of the constituent firms to honour agreements. regards the relations between federations and affiliated associations, it is the general practice for consultations to take place before important decisions are reached.

Employers' organisations in different industries have only comparatively recently set up machinery for the co-ordination of their activities, and to this end have established two bodies the Federation of British Industries and the British Employers' Confederation until recently known as the National Confederation of Employers' Organisations. The first mentioned is concerned with economic and commercial questions, and the second was set up in 1919 to co-ordinate the work of employers' organisations dealing with labour matters in the different industries, and is, in effect, the employers' counterpart of the Trades Union Congress.

The

Although the Confederation avoids publicity, it may be safely said that no important measure dealing with labour matters has been introduced into Parliament during recent years except after consultation with the Confederation or without representations having been made to the Government on its behalf. Confederation has also on a number of occasions submitted evidence to Royal Commissions and Government Committees which have been set up to investigate labour conditions.

Detailed statistics regarding the membership of employers' organisations, or the number of workers employed by affiliated firms are not available, but it has been estimated that firms belonging to organisations affiliated to the British Employers' Confederation employ normally over 7,000,000 workers, and that, as a very rough approximation, about one-half of British workpeople are employed by organised undertakings.

In 1938, there were known to be in existence about 270 National or General Federations and Associations with approximately 1,550 other organisations which were concerned with matters relating to the employment of labour.

An analysis of these organisations classified according to main industrial groupings is to be found on page 136 of the Twenty Second Abstract of Labour Statistics of the United Kingdom (1922-37).

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