Republican farmer., 1919-11-28
WORKS COUNCILS ARE REPLACING
 COMMITTEES
Have Joint Right of Deter mining Social Political
 Questions

The introduction of a bill in the German National Assembly to author ize the creation of Works Councils, marks the first definite step taken for the practical execution of the funda- mental idea embodied in the German Constitution in regard to the inter ests of workmen in the establishments where they are employed The ex- isttng Committees of Workmen and Officials, which were brought into op- eration soon after the Armistice, were only temporary arrangements, and the committees only possessed a voice in works matters, having no power of voting. It is now intended to super sede these committees by the new Works Councils, who will have a joint right of determining questions of a social-political nature in re- spect to the works. We extract the following particulars from the Ger man newspapers:
 The bill provides that Works Coun- ciIs are to be formed in all trades which employ at least twenty work | men and officials, the definition Of trades being all trades, businesses and administrations, public pri- | vate. In trades employing less than | fifty workers the Works Council is to | consist of three members, and of five 1 members for fifty up to ninety-nine | workers, while the number of mem 1 bers is to be increased by one per | 100 workers in cases of trades eTn-- | ploying between 100 and 999 work | CTS, and by one per 500 workers in | cases of trades or works employing | 1000 workers and upwards. The maximum number of members for a Council is fixed at twenty.
 | Section 34 of the bill states that the | duty of the Works Council is to look ] after the interests of the workers in relation to the employer and to sup | port the employer in the fulfl1ment
 of the objects of the works.
 The council, for instance, has to
 CD watch the legal regulations given l in favor of the workers in the trade.
 the standard wages contracts and the
 awards of conciliation or arbitration
 committee, are carried into effect; CD
 to cooperate, in so far as wages con
 tracts do not exist, with the interest
 ed economic associations of the work
 CTS in the regulation of wages and
 working conditions, especially in the
 fixing of piece rates, etc, the intro
 duction of new methods of paying
 wages, the fixing of the length of the working shift, the settlement of holi-
 day leave, apprenticeship, etc; (3) to | regulations for the workers and all
 terations of the same within the
 scope of the existing contracts; (4) to l l promote a good understanding among | the workers and between them and
 the employer and to support the workers right of combinations (5) to
 call Tn the conciliation committee or
 prearranged arbitration committee , in case of disputes if no agreement I TO, ha h+ai- h 4io+
 to protect the works from disturb ance, particularly in cases of threat
 ened strikes, and to cooperate with 1 the trade unions so that work may
 not be stopped until strike has been
 decided upon by ballot (with a two
 thirds majority, unless the rules stip- ulate for 8 different majority); CD to combat accident and health dan ! gers in the works; support the factory
 inspectors in these respects, and assist , in the enforcement of the factory in spection regulations; (s) to cooperate
 in the management of the works ben l evolent institutions in so far as the employer has @ voice in their dispos-
 al; (9) to cooperate in the introduc- [ tton of new methods of working; (1o)
 to advise the management in regard
 to suggested methods for ensuring
 the greatest economy from the works
 
 point one or two representatives on } the Board of Directors in undertak-
 ings having such boards, who will , have the same rights and duties as the other directors. but who will have no power of representation and no claim to payment other than a refund
 of expenses.
 f A further section provides that in works which have no Boards of Di- fho , right to require the employer to fur nish the Councils committee or the } Works Council itself, with informa- 1 ton concerning all matters affecting
 the workers, in so far as works or
 business secrets are not thereby en- f dangered and legal regulations do not impose In particular, the employer on request, has to produce the wages i books and give information as to the
 production and the expected labor re- t l Quirements. This section also pro- , vides that in undertakings which are under the obligation to keep trade
 books, and which employ at least
 fifty workers, the Councils commit tee or the Council itself can demand s every year as from January l, 1920,
 the presentation, for inspection of a
 balance sheet and profit and loss ac- = count for the previous year..
 The obligation is placed upon the . members of the committee or Coun-
 ell to observe secrecy respecting the l confidential information given by the :, employer.
 v The above represent the provisions 1 of the bill which are regarded by the employers the most dangerous to g their interests. The remaining sections
 of the measure deal with the pro-
 cedure to be followed in connection S with the suspension or discharge of n workers, the conciliatton and arbitra- ton committees, etc
 f