Mr Sullivan Opposes Compulsory Unionism For Post Office Employees

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 98, 14 November 1947, Page 5

Mr Sullivan Opposes Compulsory Unionism For Post Office Employees

Opposition Amendment To Bill Rejected

Strong objection to a provision in the Post and Telegraph Amendment Bill providing for compulsory membership of P. and T. employees in the P. and T. Employees’ Association and Officers’ Guild was voiced by Mr W. Sullivan (National, Bay of Plenty) during the second reading debate on the Bill in the House of Representatives.

“Will the Minister give the 15,000 employees of the Post and Telegraph Department • the right to decide fo? themselves by a secret ballot whether they want compulsion or not?” he asked. “I would venture to say that if the Minister did that this Bill would not go through. Only recently we passed legislation providing that before a strike is held a secret ballot must be taken. Surely it is fair and just to give these people an opportunity to conduct a secret ballot inside their own department on the-question of whether they will have compulsory unionism imposed on them. The whole thing is utterly wrong and should ; be opposed whole-heartedly in every way possible by every one -of us who stands for the democratic way of life in this country and in the Empire.

“During the war when those people were called upon to work overtime and to undertake all sorts of additional duties, how were they treated in the matter of overtime payments? "As far as I know ordinary rates were extended to the extra hours of work, although the Government had laid it down that every other employer .had to pay time and a half and doube time for hours worked in excess of 40 a week. When it comes to dealing with its own employees in this department the Government made' no recognition of the fact above ordinary rates. The Government has treated them in a niggardly fashion, and I shall oppose this Bill entirely, for it is just another imposition on these people, and they are not being consulted about it. If the Prime Minister declares that we are following, a truly form of Govern-’ ment in New Zealand, I appeal to him and his colleagues to give the workers of the P. & T. Department the right to decide this thing for themselves and to decide it by a secret ballot. If the workers then say .that they desired this system of compulsion, we shall have no complaint.”

By 37 votes to 32, the House rejected an Opposition amendment to the Bill designed to ensure that no member of the P. and T. Association should be required to contribute towards the funds of* any political party unless he had agreed in writing to do so.