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Associationism. See AsSOCIATION.

Associations Ouvrières de Production (Working-Men's Associations of Production). French societies of workers engaged in cooperative production. Such societies are now of considerable number and influence, particularly in the building trades. While they vary in type, they are in the main combinations of workmen formed to carry on their industries with their own capital or that of their trade unions, assisted by a government subvention. The law governing such societies provides (1) that public contracts shall be split up into such size that associations of workmen can bid on them; (2) that such associations shall not be obliged to deposit any guarantee when the contract is under a certain amount; (3) that workingmen's associations shall be given the preference when bids are equal; and (4) that payments shall be made to such associations every fifteen days. The government printing of France has for many years been done by these so-called "cooperative companionships." Several hundred of these societies are federated in the Chambre Consultative des Associations Ouvrières de Production, which looks after their general business and legal interests, carries on educational and propaganda work, etc. (See COOPERATIVE EMPLOYMENT.)

Assumer. See ENTREPRENEur.

Assumption of Risk. See EMPLOYER'S LIABILITY.

Attachment of Wages. See WAGE EXEMPTION.

Attack Strike. See LOCKOUT.

Auchmuty System. A method of TRADE SCHOOL instruction named after Colonel Richard T. Auchmuty, founder (in 1881) of the New York Trade School. The student is at first put on simple work, but as he acquires skill and workmanlike qualities he is advanced to work that is more difficult and complicated, until he finally becomes familiar with all the processes of his trade. Both the practical and the theoretical aspects of the trade are dealt with, "so that not only is skill quickly acquired but the scientific principles that underlie the work are also studied." (See INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION.)

Australian Arbitration Courts. Most of the Australian states require the submission of industrial disputes to a central state arbitration court, consisting generally of a single judge. In some cases, "assessors" representing the two sides are appointed to sit with the judge, but nearly always the latter has the power

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of ultimate decision. Proceedings are conducted as in a civil court. The litigants engage advocates and file claims and replies, evidence is presented, witnesses examined, etc. The court decision, when rendered, becomes the state standard for the industry concerned in the dispute. (See COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.)

Australian Labor Movement. The earliest beginnings of trade unionism in Australia consisted in the formation of local branches of large British unions. By 1885 there were more than a hundred trade unions, with a combined membership of about 50,000. Defeat in several strikes from 1885 to 1890 awakened the workers to the need for political organization, and as a result the AUSTRALIAN Labor Party was established in 1892. Since then the labor movement in Australia has been strongly political in character, working for socialistic legislation through the Federal Parliament. At the present time Australian trade unionism is numerically strong, but weak in organization. In 1919 there were 627,685 trade unionists, or 12.6 per cent of the total population, organized in 394 unions -an average of 1,590 members per union. There is no central unifying body for Australian trade unionism. In the larger towns are Labor Councils, which secure some measure of coordination; and sometimes these Labor Councils in a state capital, such as Sydney, receive affiliations from other parts of the state. But even these latter Councils are seldom fully representative, and their function is deliberative and advisory, rather than executive. Some of the larger unions, organized on a national or inter-state basis, are not affiliated with the Councils. The inter-State conferences, held at irregular intervals, are of similar character to the Councils. The ONE BIG UNION idea has come to play a considerable part in the Australian labor movement of late-both generally, within the trade unions, and more specifically in the WORKERS' INDUSTRIAL UNION. Although the AUSTRALIAN WORKERS' UNION also claims to embody the One Big Union principle, it opposes the more revolutionary Workers' Industrial Union.

Australian Labor Party. Organized in 1892, largely as a result of the great maritime strike of 1890, in which the workers had suffered defeat. In 1893 twenty-four representatives of the Labor Party were elected to the New South Wales legislature, and from that time the movement steadily grew. The Labor Party has since been in control of affairs at various periods in every legislature and in the national government. At the outbreak of the war it had reached its high water mark, every state with the exception of

Victoria having a labor government, while in the Federal government labor was in the majority. The Labor Party's programme is mainly socialistic, though it includes a considerable measure of nationalism also. In actual structure, the Party is a loose federation of the six state parties, each of which is practically independent. Each determines its own state policy, and sends delegates to a Federal conference. The Federal conference defines a Federal platform and appoints a Federal executive; but the latter, since it meets infrequently and has no funds, has little power. The real strength lies in the regular support of the trade unions, which are affiliated separately in the various states. The trade unions also own most of the labor press. (See AUSTRALIAN LABOR MOVEMENT.)

Australian Workers' Union. An organization devoted to the principles of INDUSTRIAL UNIONISM "on sane lines suitable to Australian circumstances and conditions." It opposes the more revolutionary industrial unionism advocated by the WORKERS' INDUSTRIAL UNION OF AUSTRALIA, although like that body it claims to be committed to the ONE BIG UNION principle. (See AUSTRALIAN LABOR MOVEMENT.)

Austrian Central Trade Union Commission. See GEWERKSCHAFTSKOMMISSION DEUTSCHÖSTERREICHS.

Austrian Social Democratic Labor Party. See GEwerkSCHAFTSKOMMISSION DEUTSCHÖSTERREICHS.

Austrian Works Councils. Under a law which came into force July 25, 1919, the election of WORKS COUNCILS in all Austrian factories and other establishments where at least twenty wageearners are employed continuously is obligatory. These councils conclude, maintain, and interpret collective agreements, in cooperation with the trade unions; fix wages; supervise the enforcement of protective LABOR LEGISLATION and SOCIAL INSURANCE laws; cooperate in maintaining DISCIPLINE; participate in the management of WELFARE WORK; etc. In commercial establishments where at least thirty salaried employees and manual workers are employed, as well as in all factories and mines, the works council is entitled to demand that a balance sheet shall be submitted to it once a year, together with a profit and loss account and statistics of wages. In joint stock companies the council is entitled to elect two members of the board of directors.

Authoritarian Socialism. See STATE SOCIALISM.

Autonomy. In labor affairs, this term denotes the right of self-government and independent action on the part of a trade union, with respect to other unions or to federations of unions. "Local autonomy" refers to such right on the part of a local union in respect to a national union; while "national autonomy" refers to the same. right on the part of a national union in respect to other national unions or to federations of national unions. "Trade autonomy" or "craft autonomy" is the right of independent action and control on the part of a trade union in respect to a particular trade or craft within an industry. (See SECTIONALISM; CENTRALIZATION.)

Award. In labor affairs, the decision of an ARBITRATION agency in settlement of an industrial dispute. If, under the terms of the arbitration agreement, the contending parties are free to accept or reject the award, as they choose, the result is called a voluntary award. If, on the other hand, it is stipulated in advance that the award shall be binding on the contending parties for a specified time, the result is a compulsory award.

B

B. L. P. See BRITISH LABOR PARTY.

Bad Spinning. This term is most commonly used in connection with a class of disputes, frequent in the British cotton industry, arising from workers' claims that the cotton supplied them was of such bad quality that they could not earn the standard rate at "list" prices. The BROOKLANDS AGREEMENT broke down over this point in 1912.

Bad Timekeeping. See CLOCKING.

Barred Zone Provision.

See ASIATIC BARRED ZONE.

Base Rate. In connection with SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT, this is the regular or ordinary day wage which is usually guaranteed to an individual worker regardless of whether he attains the standard

TASK.

Base Time. In connection with SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT, this is the usual or average amount of time required for turning out a given quantity of individual work. Unlike what is called the TASK TIME, it is determined mainly by estimates and averages drawn from past shop records, rather than by detailed TIME AND MOTION

STUDY.

Basic Eight-Hour Day. See EIGHT-HOUR DAY.

Bedroom Shop. See ONE-MAN SHOP.

Belgian General Federation of Christian and Free Trade Unions. See BELGIAN TRADE UNIONS.

Belgian Labor Party. See PARTI OUVRIER BELGE.

Belgian Trade Union Commission.

DICALE BELge.

See COMMISSION SYN

Belgian Trade Unions. As in Germany, the trade unions of Belgium are chiefly of two kinds: (1) Socialist, or Social Democratic, organizations; and (2) Christian, or Catholic Democratic

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