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The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926-1954) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2602535
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SENATE VOTE WIPES OUT
WOMEN'S EMPLOYMENT BOARD
Government To Take, Early,
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' < Counter Action >. . '» * >
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. ,|i By 17 yo tea tq 1 6'm the Senate last night, the > Opposition securedithd disallowance of thoUNational Security Regulations re- lating to the1 employment of w;omen in industry.';,1 f, ' -I
,'t | The effect of the vote was^ to abolish the Women's Employ- ment Board set up last June to determine among other things the conditions of employment of female labour in industry.
Within a few minutes' of the' vote being taken, Mr. Ward is- sued a statement'staling that as a result of the decision the Sen- ate had destroyed all the existing machinery for the regulation of wages and conditions of women in war industry and had ob- structed the excellent work done by the Women's Employment
Board.
Mr. Ward said that the mat-
ter was receiving his immediate'
attention and a submissions would be made to full Cabinet ?as early as possible. J , .
Tile vital vote was taken in a rest- ive House. Members of the Govern- ment knew defeat was certain and Ve sented the move' by the Opposition.
Cries ¡frf'"another victory foi, the Japs" and.','wait'¡until the barmaids hear of 'this," 'rose, 1'iom Government members'. \ ' ',.' '.' ' ',"
-»The' ''Ministei Kfor Labour JÍIr. Ward!» walked into the Chamber \at. the vote waa being taken. , ' "
Senator liamp (Lab.) claimed h'is attention-, ' " ' "
"Eddie,' they've done the dirty on us," lie ciied.
Mr. Ward acknowledged the inter
Hint of Probable Action , » jection with a smile. '*
The probable acticn to be .taken, by Mr. Ward was hinted at by the Postmaster-Geneial (Senator Ash- ley) and other Ministers duiing tho,
debate.
Senator Ashley sa"d that, in the event of the motion succeeding, new regulations would bo introduced pro viding for equal pay for the sexes until a determination was made by the Arbitration Court, on which the Government would now have .to call for decisions of this kind.
' "We cannot have our Industry held up," he said, "and we'cannot afford
to have uni est."
At the present t mc the rate of pay to women is" nat less than "60 per cent, of the male award and not more than 90 per cent. ^
Debate in Senate
Tile creation of the Women's' Em. ployment Board displayed political -P^VWWP tf'iftj^F lftW,orçjm',ijinJW_/
the-Leader .of the Opposition (Sena-,' tor'McLeay) hi the Senate yesterday, tor McLeay) when he moved for, the disallowance of the National Board. He said that the ai Miration system was being ruthlessly slaught- ered by the Government's action,"
He protested that numerous an- omalies were created in industry when faced with two tribunals
| Charging the Goveinment with
breaking its own economic regula- tions in which wages were pegged, Senator McLeay said that these were obviously superseded in order to se, cure political favour. The Govern- ment was trying to create a feeling in official circles that the Opposi- tion's effort to disallow these regu- lations would "create chaos in indus tiy where the board had declared awards. Chaos will be created if the Board and its powers are not elim- inated. - '
It was essential to have umfotm ity in industrial matters, but the at, tltude of the Minister for Labour (Mr. Waul) in selecting the person- nel of the Board was looking for troublé . '
The Leader ol' the Government (Senator Collings) said that the fate of a great, undertaking depended on the Senate yote, .and issued a wain- ing pf .seiious "distill bance to , Aus- tralia's war effort,
For the fust'time in the country's
history, he said,« women were en- titled to have, a, voice, m the condi- tions under,* which ,thay toiled. ," ,
Waving a sheaf of papera'1 at 'the Opposition, lie shouted: "We do not clam any certain privileges for wo- men, but we will see that you in your antagonism to these' regula- tions will not impose any .dtoabili jties on women, no matter how you
.vote."
| Senator Fall (U.A.P.), supporting
? the motion, said the regulations had |done a great injustice to women in ¡industry. "Women hav'ng to carn a
living In other factories because of ! economic circumstances are forced 10 work fei'i less than many sobiety Kiamsels who voluntarily enter \rair work for the duration of the war,"
lie said.
Court Delays Blamed
Senator Aylett (Lab., Tas ) said that since its appointment on June 30 the board had dealt with -to cases, in which none of the deo slons had boen disputed. The ' Metal Tra'des I Union had'had to wait »12 months loc. a hcarlng> befoio the Arbitration? 'Court and- another*-12 months 'io* a' decision. oif )- '.ilT . n'-o
ft ''The fact-'' -that /' £'500.000 ' bac» 'hídney has' bech igrnn'tï!rt£to"wo''nen) by the board^is^fiufllfleiit to^slio-d that, "i' thc-TpftsÉi'womtíii liave-iueen
sweated by'tcmploycrs," he said.'
The Minister for Customs (Senator Keane) declared: "If you thiowthis regulation out, it will be brought back again lo the ennfusron of indus- trial life and then this wretched busi- ness will have to be gone all over again."
He reminded the Opposition that from 1931 to last year, when they were in power, the Arbitration Court had been solely and absolutely filled by their appo'nteos, so that their argument on this occasion about un- fair representation and a political hoard fell on bare ground. Theie was imperative need for the hoard and if employers wore ,-iot ' sa'-VitteJ with the representation it Was á mat- te- for the Minister for "Labour (Sir.
Ward), who had done an,epic jab on the coalfields. The times demanded that peace in industiy should pre-
vail'.
Senator Spicer said the board was a sheer pretence of impaitiality. From first'to last the complaint by the ' Opposition was that the board did not provide the same represen- tation for employers as it did' for employees. ' , »
**¡ '¡Pair Disapproved * ,,j
The deèdte hail proceeded for eight, hours when Senator J. McLachlaiij (U.A.P.) ¿pplied'the gag, which v/aà^ carried by *Î7 vot'es to 15, and the, motion .¿as1'then put.
Votings-was''strictly on party lines., The Opposition success was ustiured by 'the Government honouring its guarantee of a' pair to Senator Wil- son (U.A.P.), who is on service. He was pa red With Senator Dnrcey
(Lab.).
"At the end of the debate a Minister expressed disapproval at the pair be- ing granted to Senator Wilson. When the guaiantee was given, he enid, Japan had not entered the war and he ' believed that candil lena had changed so much since then ns to warrant the Government roviewing its decision.
WRIT ISSUED TO TEST
VALIDITY
MELBOURNE, Wednesday. - The validity of the appointment of the Women's Employment Bon id lias been challenged and a wiit against the Min- ister for Labour and National .Ser- vices (Mi. Waul) has been irsued out of tho Hijrh Couit or. behalf of the Victoiian Chambei of Manufacturers aui Hecla Electiic Pty Limited