Governmen

Help For

P-Ng Union

from our Canberra Corresponds: One of the functions of a Papua-New Guinea Labour partment—a director for w is now being sought thn public advertisements—will t help native workers to 1 unions.

TERRITORY Minister Paul luck said this in the Hous Representatives in August, whem ing the background to new la laws which are to be introduce the P-NG Legislative Council a session beginning September 19., Mr. Hasluck also gave some teresting figures on the native 1 force. He said, for instance, that one man in nine was working wages. The total indigenous ’ force in paid employment 70,000, in a total population 1,850,000, with a total male 1 force of possibly 600,000.

He said there had been little: in the number of wage-earner recent years, because labour had used more efficiently as the cos it had risen.

Most Self Employed Another factor was the declic gold mining and oil exploration., The big increases in gainful c pation had been in self-employr mainly producing cash crops. T 1 were far more self-employed m workers with cash incomes there were wage-earners. This pai of occupation seemed likely to tinue.

More than half the 70,000 v earners were engaged in primary duction. Then came government ployment, 14,000, personal sen mainly domestics, 4,600, building construction, 4,000, comm 3,500, manufacturing, 3,000 transport and storage, 3,000.

Mr. Hasluck said that the marked change in the employ l pattern in recent years had been growing numbers of urban won who now totalled 27,000 of the 70 wage-earners.

These urban workers would the ones mainly interested in the: labour laws.

The Minister said that the Go 1 '

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it was dedicated to the principle freedom of association. Spokes i for the native workers had made lear that they wanted to develop r own unions in their own way separate from any Australian 3ns. Australian trade union lers who had visited the Terri ' agreed with this.

Tie Minister warned that there ild be risks in forming native ans. These included:— I Tendencies for workers’ groups 3e tribal rather than occupational; I The possibility of social, re gional or denominational groups ir taking up industrial claims, with same risk of incompleteness or lusiveness as tribal groups; I “Stand-over” native leaders nipulating unions for their own poses; and • “Tame-cat” unions (subservient an employer).

The Minister said that when draft legislation was introduced in the Legislative Council in September, debate would be adjourned so that the community would have a chance to express its views.

The legislation would regulate the conditions under which “organisations of employers and workers” would be recognised, provide for negotiation, conciliation and arbitration, and make special provision for essential services.

The Minister added: “Labour relations in the Territory mean a lot more than an argument. They are an inseparable part of a great crealive undertaking.

“Labour policy cannot be de-

veloped in isolation from other acti vities in the Territory. . . .

“Provided wage rates are set at reasonable levels and are related to the productivity of the work force, both private employers and Govern ment will be able to give increased opportunities for employment, “We need to seek and exploit every opportunity for developing export industries. They alone can take the place in the future of the public spending financed by Australian taxation which is at present so large an element in sustaining local spend ing power and providing employ ment.

“These export industries will have little or no control over the price at

which they sell their product, and so will have to produce at a cost that enables them to compete in world markets. Labour will be a big element in that cost.”