▁to ▁the ▁Liberal ▁government ' s ▁Indust rial ▁Conc ili ation ▁and ▁Ar bitr ation ▁Act , ▁which ▁meant ▁labour ▁disput es ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁settled ▁though ▁conc ili ation ▁bo ards ▁and ▁arbitr ation ▁courts . ▁Un ions ▁at ▁first ▁generally ▁regarded ▁the ▁arbitr ation ▁system ▁as ▁benef icial , ▁while ▁many ▁employ ers ▁saw ▁it ▁as ▁limit ing ▁their ▁powers . ▁With ▁no ▁significant ▁sto pp ages ▁between ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 6 , ▁New ▁Zealand ▁became ▁known ▁intern ation ally ▁as ▁‘ the ▁country ▁without ▁strik es ’ . ▁ ▁However , ▁union ists ▁had ▁several ▁compla ints ▁about ▁the ▁arbitr ation ▁system ; ▁it ▁failed ▁to ▁increase ▁w ages ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁living , ▁didn ' t ▁comp el ▁employ ers ▁to ▁pay ▁for ▁all ▁hours ▁of ▁work , ▁and ▁the ▁prov isions ▁for ▁employ ers ▁h iring ▁workers ▁at ▁less ▁than ▁agreed ▁rates ▁were ▁considered ▁too ▁loose . ▁The ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁un ions ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁increased ▁the ▁arbitr ation ▁courts ' ▁work load ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁that ▁un ions ▁could ▁wait ▁up ▁to ▁a ▁year ▁before ▁getting ▁a ▁hearing . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁an ▁am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁act ▁made ▁strike ▁action ▁and ▁lock outs ▁illegal ▁where ▁there ▁was ▁an ▁award ▁covering ▁employ ers ▁and ▁workers ▁and ▁another ▁am end ment ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁increased ▁the ▁pen alt ies ▁for ▁striking ▁il